A NEW course running this year at West Somerset College will see young people able to design, organise and run walking and camping groups in areas such as Exmoor and the Quantocks.

The vocational Lowland Expedition Leaders (LEL) course is part of the college’s sixth form enrichment programme and, once qualified, the year 13s will be able to help run scouts, cadets and Duke of Edinburgh groups.

During the year-long course the students have to run two expeditions, once as a guided training exercise and then as an assessment of their planning and leadership skills.

The LEL group members are currently learning all about the legalities of running trips, as well as the logistics of planning safe and enjoyable routes.

They are helping the college’s year ten silver Duke of Edinburgh group prepare for a qualifying expedition in April, and the LEL students have been involved in everything from teaching new compass skills to designing routes on Dartmoor, as well as booking campsites, organising transport and completing paperwork.