Intern to gain valuable events and livestock management skills this Spring
A young apprentice at The Chester House Estate will get more than he baa-gained for this spring when he will become foster parent to dozens of lambs.
Lee Burton, 19, from Wellingborough is a facilities intern at the estate near Irchester and will be supporting bottle-feeding sessions at the site every day from 12 March to 2 May having never worked with livestock before.
He will be working under the watchful eye of tenant farmers to learn about livestock handling, and will oversee around 60 – 70 cade (orphaned) lambs.
He said: “I’m going to be showing visitors how to feed the lambs and making sure the event runs smoothly. I’ve never run an event before and I’m really excited about it.”
Lee is one of several interns working at the Estate near Irchester funded through the Government Kick-start Scheme. As well as getting hands-on experience in facilities and land management, the estate is supporting him through his GCSEs in English and Maths.
Manager, Jack Pishhorn said: “It’s been incredible to be able to support young people like Lee over the last six-months or so and to see them develop and grow in roles that would not have been there before.
“A huge part of what we’re doing here at The Chester House Estate is supporting the education of young people in the community through our partnerships with The Creating Tomorrow Trust, Moulton College, The University of Leicester and of course, Nenescape.
“A few weeks ago Lee did a talk to a room full of people about his internship; something he would never have dreamed of doing a few months ago.”
Cllr Helen Howell, North Northamptonshire Council’s Deputy Leader and Executive Member for Sport, Leisure, Culture and Tourism, said: “It is great to see Lee enjoying his time on the Chester House Estate and I hope that the work Lee has been completing alongside the team on site will help him in his future work.
“The internship programme we have on site is fantastic and offers a varied range of placements which set young people up for their future careers through real world experience.”
Cllr Jason Smithers, Leader of NNC, added: “Alongside the excellent team we have at the Chester House Estate, it is wonderful to hear that the interns on site are getting stuck in and working on all aspects of the business – from the day-to-day maintenance right through to the more unusual elements that you would only experience at The Chester House Estate.”
Lee’s internship ends in July and he wants to go on to manage an estate like Chester House.
But until then he will be in the lambing shed as part of the Estate’s Spring Passport which includes an egg hunt and lamb feeding sessions across the 85-acre estate.
Jack added: “The egg hunt will take in the whole of the estate, from the River Nene to the Farmhouse, so will give visitors an opportunity to get off the beaten track and explore the wonderful site we have here.”
The Chester House Estate is free to enter but there will be a surcharge of £8 per person for a Spring Passport. Sessions can be booked HERE