Entry to Employment (e2e) students at City College Plymouth have been volunteering their services at Ford Park Cemetery to help maintain and improve the grounds within the cemetery.

The 12 students have been digging up vigorous grasses and turning over the soil with the aim of planting wild flowers and returning the graves to their former glory. They've also spent time levelling a number of graves to stop them from disappearing into the earth and being forgotten.

Ford Park Cemetery is a charity and as such relies heavily on public donations to help continue its work - so the extra help from the e2e students has been a massive boost in helping to improve the appearance of the cemetery.

All of the students involved were inspired by the work carried out at the cemetery, so much so that Luke Webb, an e2e student is now keen to pursue a career as a grounds keeper and Chris Snowdon, who's starting a course in Motor Vehicle, found a new lease of life outside of the classroom, if he hadn't already been accepted for a course would have been keen to carry on with the project through rain and shine.

Debra Jory, e2e Training Officer at City College Plymouth commented: "it's been such a worthwhile and rewarding project for the students to partake in.

"Many of the students will be starting courses at City College Plymouth in September and have been working hard to get 50 volunteering hours and achieve a Vinspired 'Vfifty' award - We're really proud of all they have achieved."

e2e is a learning programme primarily aimed at young people aged 16-18 who are not participating in any form of post-16 learning. It is designed to help develop motivation and confidence, personal effectiveness and basic and key skills, and to give a range of opportunities to gain vocational knowledge, skills and understanding. The aim is that they will progress into a Modern Apprenticeship, further learning and/or a job.