DUNDEE COLLEGE Prince’s Trust Team in Angus enjoyed an exciting day yesterday when they visited Arbroath fire station.

Kevin Smith, Samantha Napier, Sean Smith (all Forfar), Martyn Anderson (Aberdeen), Natasha Wallace (Arbroath), Mark Morton (Inverkeilor), Kenneth Morton (Montrose) and Andrew Swindail (Brechin) experienced a day in the life of a firefighter.

“This visit was designed to give an insight into all of the work that firefighters must undertake and just how serious this work is,” team leader Chris Burke said.

“We are grateful to John Mowatt, of Tayside Fire and Rescue, with whom we arranged this visit.”

The team are no strangers to hard work.

During a recent community project they endured some pick-and-shovel work then they went to the Murton Trust land near Forfar and put in 340 metres of fence posts, as well as building fences and creating nests for sand martins.

They also recently raised over £600 by packing bags for shoppers in Marks & Spencer in Dundee.

Money raised by the youngsters is used to finance team challenges including: organising a day out for young carers in Arbroath; a pool competition with an aftercare group; bowling with residents from the Gables in Forfar; and even donating a video recorder to the Redwood Residential Home, Dundee, where the residents have been missing their film nights.

The 12-week Prince’s Trust Team programme is aimed at preparing those taking part for that vital “next step” into employment or further education.

The project helps people aged between 16 and 25 develop confidence, learn new skills and get into work as well as bringing together people from different backgrounds and circumstances and with different abilities.

The trust team programme encourages individual personal development in areas such as communication, leadership, motivation, confidence and tolerance.