Friends embark on tour of UK to learn new skills

Alice, Matt and Nick are touring the country asking skilled people to teach them a lesson to raise money for the Alzheimer’s Society.

Nick Street, 29, and Alice Albery, 28, of Canal Place, Chichester, and Matthew Bowen, 28, from Bournemouth, hope to be taught at least one lesson in every county of the UK over the course of a year.

The trio have trialled the idea with friends and family before officially kicking off the challenge in West Sussex.

They are now calling for more skilled people to come forward for the project, called Teach Us.

Matt said: “There’s no need to be a qualified teacher, as long as you’re passionate about what you do.

“Whether you can turn wood, decorate a cake, repair a dress, speak a language or simply tie a good knot, we would love to hear from you.”

For every county in which they receive a lesson, the trio have pledged to donate £10 to the Alzheimer’s Society.

They chose to support this charity because learning new skills and keeping the brain active has been proven to reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s and they have all had relatives who have suffered from the disease.

Nick said: “When you look at our parents’ or grandparents’ generation, they were expected to have a broad skill set.

“Our generation, however, has been pushed to learn skills only to pass exams or for career progression, and learning skills for jobs doesn’t necessarily create well-balanced individuals.

“It’s our view that learning extra-curricular skills can be a release from stresses of everyday life, and lead to confidence, happiness and personal progression.

“It’s also a great way to meet new friends. It’s our belief that you see the best side of people when they’re sharing something they’re passionate about.”

Their first official lesson was woodturning in Dorset and quite a few teachers have been lined up for the next few weeks, thanks to the trio setting up a Teach Us stand at the Handmade Fair at Hampton Court Palace to spread the word about their challenge.

The Teach Us blog will feature interviews, photos and videos of the lessons taking place. Skills teachers can sign up at www.teach-us.uk.

Donations to Alzheimer’s Society will be capped at £10 per county, so if all 116 counties are visited, the total should reach£1,160.

The friends welcome more registrations and say they will try their best to feature as many people on the blog as they can.

They are looking for as much variety as possible and will select lessons accordingly.

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