DARTMOOR has been hailed as a 'worry free zone' by young people from across the South West who spent last weekend at Okehampton Youth Hostel.

The weekend, attended by 36 youngsters from youth centres and community groups, was organised by Mosaic, a project led by the Campaign for National Parks which celebrates its 75th anniversary this year. 

Mosaic aims to engage young people, particularly those from disadvantaged urban backgrounds, to experience National Parks and encourages them to become 'champions' for these special landscapes. 

After a successful 18-month project in Dartmoor and Exmoor National Parks, that saw over 60 'young champions' recruited from all over the South West, this weekend was a chance for everyone to reflect on the impact of the project and share in the achievements of the young people.

Each young person had very different motivations for getting involved in Mosaic, but nearly all agreed that being in a national park allowed them to forget about their worries, even if it was just for a few days. 

During the weekend the young people and their youth workers had the chance to try out a range of activities including mountain biking and pony trekking while others tried out archery or used natural materials to create works of art inspired by the outdoors. In addition everyone took part in a conservation challenge to help support the work of the national park rangers including gorse cutting at Meldon Quarry and constructing dormouse boxes.

Mosaic youth project officer David Rolls said: 'The national parks rely on volunteer support to help them undertake conservation work, so to see the 'young champions' react so enthusiastically to the tasks was really encouraging. 

'Not only are we helping these young people to enjoy the outdoors, but we are helping them to understand the fragility of the national parks and installing a sense of responsibility in them to look after these landscapes for years to come.'