COURSES helping ex-service personnel and vulnerable young people are to be launched in the Moretonhampstead area.

Running Deer CIC is a Devon-based enterprise set up to support local people and people at risk of exclusion, such as those with learning and mental health difficulties, disabled, and long term unemployed including NEETS, and provides access to training, volunteering, life skills opportunities and work experience in bush and camp crafts,

Running Deer CIC is a not-for-profit community enterprise set up to provide rural skills, bushcraft and therapeutic horticulture opportunities for people at risk of exclusion in Devon. The CIC is launching 'Courses for Forces', a new and exciting project providing learning, training, work experience and personal development opportunities for transitioning and ex-service personnel combined with supporting vulnerable and disadvantaged young people on structured training programmes at Butterdon Wood, and on partner sites near Moretonhampstead.

Working with existing and new partners, Running Deer will be supporting more than 80 transitioning and ex-service personnel, and 48 young people through a complex programme of rural skills, therapeutic horticulture, green woodworking and working with heavy horses. They will also be delivering eight empowerment days, a series of bushcraft courses and family days.

The courses are funded by the Devon Armed Forces Community Covenant Fund. The fund, provided by the Ministry of Defence and administered by Devon County Council, delivers financial support to projects at the local level, which strengthen the ties or the mutual understanding between members of the armed forces community and the wider community in which they live.

For further information please visit http://www.runningdeer.org.uk">www.runningdeer.org.uk or call Joanna Winterburn on 07805 706147.