Graduates of LANTRA Pathway celebrate new qualifications
Earlier this month, young people from Dorset Wellbeing attended the ARB Show 2025 – a national event for professionals, learners and enthusiasts in the field of tree care and forestry. For the young people involved, it wasn’t just a day out. It marked the culmination of months of focused effort and hands-on learning, and served as a celebration of the LANTRA-accredited qualifications they’ve each achieved through our rural training pathway.
The ARB Show offered them the chance to explore live equipment demonstrations, meet people working in the field, and see the range of opportunities that exist in woodland and land-based careers. It was a fitting milestone to acknowledge how far they’ve come, and to begin thinking about what might come next.
These students have spent the past year working through Dorset Wellbeing’s Pathways to Adulthood programme, in this case gaining practical qualifications in areas such as chainsaw maintenance and operation, mowing, brushcutting, strimming and pruning, and chipping machine operation. Alongside their practical work, they have also taken on the challenges of written assessments and theory-based content.
For some of the group, getting to this point has meant taking on more than just practical skills. When the training began, the written requirements of the LANTRA courses felt daunting, especially for those who had missed out on chances to develop their literacy before arriving at our provision. But with one-to-one support from mentors across our team of mentors, each student persevered and succeeded in obtaining the certification they set out to achieve.
Much of their training has been supported by Robin Pitcher, a Royal Forestry Society (RFS) certified LANTRA instructor with long-standing connections with the Dorset rural community, who has worked closely with Dorset Wellbeing as a consultant and mentor. Robin’s experience and guidance has helped shape a pathway that balances the rigour of professional expectations with the steady encouragement needed to make these courses accessible for those who may not thrive in other learning environments.
The LANTRA pathway reflects our belief that young people learn best when the work is real, the outcomes are visible, and the people around them are committed to walking alongside them.
We are incredibly proud of what these young people have achieved – not only in terms of qualifications, but in the commitment they’ve shown. Their visit to the ARB Show wasn’t just a reward, it was a statement of belonging. They are no longer just learning about the land-based sector, they are a part of it.
Puddletown Rugby Club partnership
As part of the wider training experience, Dorset Wellbeing has also developed a collaboration with Puddletown Rugby Club, who have generously opened their grounds to our LANTRA team. Our students help maintain the pitches and surrounding areas, applying their practical skills in a live community environment while supporting a local sports venue.
