NATIONAL education charity The Ernest Cook Trust (ECT) have announced a new collaboration with the Pendle Hill Landscape Partnership in Lancashire. 

The partnership will see them extend their expertise in 'learning from the land' and offer outdoor learning opportunities up to the Pennines.

The ECT, who are based in Fairford, will appoint an appoint an outdoor learning officer to run curriculum-linked lessons, informal training and lifelong learning for adults.

They will also be working with schools and community groups in the iconic Pendle Hill area to create an innovative outdoor learning programme to run over four years.

The Partnership supports the Ernest Cook Trust's aim to strengthen its impact and extend its reach from primary school children through to apprentices, graduates, professionals and beyond.

The Pendle Hill Partnership scheme is led by the Forest of Bowland AONB. Their aims are to conserve the heritage of Pendle Hill and reconnect people with their past and landscape and the scheme was recently awarded £1.8m of Lottery Funding.

The new collaboration will be the second time Ernest Cook Trust has worked outside its own country estates following on from the launch of their partnership with the Devonshire Educational Trust at Chatsworth in Derbyshire.

The ECT was founded in 1952 as an educational trust by Philanthropist Ernest Cook, grandson of travel agent Thomas Cook. The Trust now owns and manages over 22,000 acres of land across five counties.

The charities vision and ethos is 'inspiring young people to achieve better educational and life outcomes by learning from the land,' which it does through the management of its landed estates, educational support through grant giving and the direct provision of education.

The charity owns seven main estates and two other holdings spread across two counties where, currently, 33,000 children take educational visits to the estates annually.

ECT's Chief Executive Dr Victoria Edwards said: "It's exciting for us to be able to expand the reach of ECT to areas beyond our own rural estates and closer to town and cities.

"Pendle Hill Landscape Partnership is led by a great group of people who are a delight to work with.

"We look forward to developing inspirational approaches to learning from the land with them for the communities around the distinctive landscape of Pendle Hill."

Should anyone be interested in working for the partnership, visit www.forestofbowland.com/opportunities or ernestcooktrust.org.uk/vacancies.