0:00:03 > 0:00:06The British countryside.
0:00:06 > 0:00:10With green valleys, wild mountains, rolling farmlands and forests,
0:00:10 > 0:00:14the landscape is as diverse as it is beautiful.
0:00:16 > 0:00:19Many dream of escaping to the simple country life.
0:00:19 > 0:00:23But for those who live in rural Britain,
0:00:23 > 0:00:25it's a different story.
0:00:25 > 0:00:27Traditional industries are in decline
0:00:27 > 0:00:28and across the land,
0:00:28 > 0:00:31local shops, pubs and farms,
0:00:31 > 0:00:34the very cornerstone of country life,
0:00:34 > 0:00:36are closing at an alarming rate.
0:00:36 > 0:00:41It just seems that the heartbeat of our green and pleasant land
0:00:41 > 0:00:43is fast disappearing.
0:00:45 > 0:00:47This was a really vibrant shopping street
0:00:47 > 0:00:51and now we've got one pub left and that's it.
0:00:52 > 0:00:56You need to keep these places safe and secure for our children to come and enjoy.
0:00:56 > 0:01:00The one thing the countryside has going for it
0:01:00 > 0:01:01is the people who call it home.
0:01:01 > 0:01:06But what if locals were able to take matters into their own hands?
0:01:06 > 0:01:10What if groups of volunteers were given a load of money
0:01:10 > 0:01:12to turn their dreams into realities
0:01:12 > 0:01:15and put the spirit back into their communities?
0:01:15 > 0:01:17We're only going to succeed in this project
0:01:17 > 0:01:21if we involve as many people from the community as possible.
0:01:21 > 0:01:23Good service, what good service.
0:01:25 > 0:01:27With just 12 months to pull it off,
0:01:27 > 0:01:31putting their villages back on the map is not going to be easy.
0:01:31 > 0:01:36- I just know we're going to have battles every step of the way!- Mmm.
0:01:36 > 0:01:40- I have no building experience whatsoever.- What a shambles.
0:01:40 > 0:01:44But the results might just be spectacular.
0:01:44 > 0:01:48It's the biggest chance we've ever had to do something amazing.
0:01:48 > 0:01:50CHEERING
0:01:50 > 0:01:52Welcome!
0:01:53 > 0:01:54It's a big ask...
0:01:54 > 0:01:55but it could work.
0:02:17 > 0:02:18Will people power be enough
0:02:18 > 0:02:21to turn around the fortunes of a mining village?
0:02:21 > 0:02:26- If everyone gets together, it will benefit everyone. - It's like a lifeline for everyone.
0:02:26 > 0:02:29The sooner we get it up and running, the better, really.
0:02:29 > 0:02:32Or will their ambitious plan leave them in the pits of despair?
0:02:32 > 0:02:35Most of the area is now mud. It's going to be covered in water.
0:02:35 > 0:02:39We've worked really hard to get to this point.
0:02:39 > 0:02:43- It's amazing that people have stuck with this.- It's hard work - sweating.
0:02:43 > 0:02:45It's pretty shocking news, frankly.
0:02:45 > 0:02:47It is a big disappointment.
0:02:47 > 0:02:49Where have we gone wrong?
0:02:54 > 0:02:59Nottinghamshire is made up of 850 square miles of countryside,
0:02:59 > 0:03:03attracting 18 million visitors a year.
0:03:03 > 0:03:06With grand country estates, industrial heritage,
0:03:06 > 0:03:11and the folklore of Robin Hood at its heart,
0:03:11 > 0:03:13the tourist industry is thriving.
0:03:13 > 0:03:17Just 10 miles away from the city of Nottingham is Newstead village.
0:03:17 > 0:03:19Its inhabitants are surrounded
0:03:19 > 0:03:22by some of the county's most beautiful scenery.
0:03:23 > 0:03:27Newstead's glory days were when the mining industry flourished,
0:03:27 > 0:03:30providing full-time employment for most of its locals.
0:03:33 > 0:03:36In the late 1980s, that changed for good
0:03:36 > 0:03:38when mines around the country were shut down.
0:03:45 > 0:03:48When the Newstead colliery shut in 1987,
0:03:48 > 0:03:50it left this place on its knees.
0:03:50 > 0:03:53With no local industry to support it,
0:03:53 > 0:03:55many people became unemployed.
0:03:55 > 0:03:59Anyone here would admit that there was a bit of a struggle, really.
0:03:59 > 0:04:02A lot of people don't work and there's not a lot of money.
0:04:03 > 0:04:07All the young ones, they all just hang around at the local shop.
0:04:07 > 0:04:09There's a lot of abuse up there, you know.
0:04:13 > 0:04:16PHONE RINGS
0:04:16 > 0:04:20'One person who understands the effect the loss of mining has on the village
0:04:20 > 0:04:25'is 49-year-old charity worker and ex-miner, Mick Leivers.'
0:04:26 > 0:04:31The pit was a bit like a parent, really, it took care of everything in the village.
0:04:31 > 0:04:32Where do you start?
0:04:32 > 0:04:37It's not that easy to pick up the pieces when everyone's out of work. It's a real struggle, isn't it?
0:04:37 > 0:04:42'Mick's charity helps local young people by teaching them fishing.'
0:04:42 > 0:04:47We were very interested in engaging them in the local community as well as education.
0:04:47 > 0:04:52It's really important to have young people on board if you're going to do anything in a village.
0:04:52 > 0:04:56Now Mick has a big plan to put Newstead back on the map.
0:04:58 > 0:05:02On the edge of the village is a 220-acre site known as the pit tips,
0:05:02 > 0:05:05once used to dump mining waste.
0:05:05 > 0:05:08The ponds built for washing coal still remain
0:05:08 > 0:05:11and Mick wants to use them to create a country park.
0:05:15 > 0:05:19Mick plans to transform the bottom pond into a fishing lake
0:05:19 > 0:05:22to make an income from year-round angling membership.
0:05:22 > 0:05:26The dream is to have a state-of-the-art visitor's centre -
0:05:26 > 0:05:27a multi-use building,
0:05:27 > 0:05:30which could be a hub for local activities and businesses.
0:05:33 > 0:05:37Newstead already hosts a free annual music festival.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40The plan is to also stage a commercial event
0:05:40 > 0:05:43with big-name bands to attract paying music revellers.
0:05:45 > 0:05:49Any profits would be used to further develop the park.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55When you walk down these terraces of houses,
0:05:55 > 0:05:57you get a sense of what it must have been like
0:05:57 > 0:05:59when this was a thriving mining community.
0:05:59 > 0:06:04There would have been social clubs and doctors' surgeries and shops - all paid for by mining.
0:06:04 > 0:06:07Hopefully, what mining left behind
0:06:07 > 0:06:11will end up being the next generation's future.
0:06:12 > 0:06:15Mick and a team of dedicated volunteers
0:06:15 > 0:06:18have put in a bid to the Big Lottery Fund
0:06:18 > 0:06:22for a grant designed to help rural regeneration.
0:06:22 > 0:06:26And today the community is gathering to find out if they have been successful.
0:06:26 > 0:06:28Fingers crossed.
0:06:28 > 0:06:30Mick shares his passion and dream
0:06:30 > 0:06:33with local plasterer, Mark Waterhouse,
0:06:33 > 0:06:35who has lived in Newstead for 25 years.
0:06:35 > 0:06:38Rather than just sitting here, and saying,
0:06:38 > 0:06:42"Well, this is what we've got, and we haven't got anything, blah blah blah,"
0:06:42 > 0:06:44we're trying to make a difference.
0:06:44 > 0:06:47The other key member of the team is Penny Altham,
0:06:47 > 0:06:50who works for the same charity as Mick in Newstead.
0:06:50 > 0:06:53If they get the money, she'll help run the country park.
0:06:53 > 0:06:57We want to turn people's lives around and give them new skills.
0:06:57 > 0:06:59I'll to do whatever is needed for this project.
0:06:59 > 0:07:02If that means hours and hours of my time,
0:07:02 > 0:07:05then that's what I'll do to make sure that it's a success.
0:07:07 > 0:07:12One phone call will now decide the fate of this deprived village.
0:07:13 > 0:07:15PHONE RINGS
0:07:15 > 0:07:19- There we go! Hello?- 'Oh, hello, is that Mick?'- Yeah, speaking.
0:07:19 > 0:07:25'You'll appreciate what a tough job the committee's had trying to decide which of the villages to...'
0:07:25 > 0:07:29- Yeah, absolutely.- 'There's a lot of money at stake, so, er...
0:07:29 > 0:07:34'In your case, Mick, it is good news. And er...'
0:07:34 > 0:07:37CHEERING AND WHOOPING
0:07:44 > 0:07:46Ooh! All that work!
0:07:49 > 0:07:51The meetings start tomorrow.
0:07:51 > 0:07:54- We've got to develop a country park!- I know!
0:07:54 > 0:07:57Best News ever. Fantastic. Made it all worthwhile.
0:07:57 > 0:07:59It's been an incredibly positive day for Newstead,
0:07:59 > 0:08:02because it has finally brought to fruition our work.
0:08:02 > 0:08:05The project will start and is really going to put us on the map.
0:08:07 > 0:08:12The people of Newstead will aim to turn their dream into a reality over the next year.
0:08:12 > 0:08:16I've been waiting for work to be done on this area for quite a while.
0:08:16 > 0:08:21It's the biggest chance we've ever had to do something amazing.
0:08:21 > 0:08:23For people who might be out of work or struggling,
0:08:23 > 0:08:27to have somewhere where you can expand your horizons, boost your CV,
0:08:27 > 0:08:28it's got to be a good thing.
0:08:28 > 0:08:30THEY CHEER
0:08:30 > 0:08:32But they won't be alone...
0:08:32 > 0:08:37One of the conditions of the £430,000 grant
0:08:37 > 0:08:40is that the village employs outside help.
0:08:40 > 0:08:43Jules Thistleton-Smith is a co-founder of a London PR agency
0:08:43 > 0:08:47and will take a leading role in the festival,
0:08:47 > 0:08:49whilst her architect husband Anthony
0:08:49 > 0:08:52will design the country park's visitor centre.
0:08:52 > 0:08:56We've been very fortunate, in that we've both been quite successful in our areas of business
0:08:56 > 0:09:00and actually, you know, there's still a lot more that we could do.
0:09:00 > 0:09:05But is there something else that we could do with that expertise, that we're not doing at the moment?
0:09:05 > 0:09:08Together, along with their three year-old son Gordon,
0:09:08 > 0:09:12they'll move to Newstead and work on the project for one year.
0:09:12 > 0:09:17The scars of the miners' strike, the scars of the closure are still there in the village
0:09:17 > 0:09:21and the legacy of the coal mine is ever-present, in terms of the pit tip surrounding it.
0:09:21 > 0:09:25It's great to be able to take that and do something wonderful with it.
0:09:25 > 0:09:26It's a huge ambition,
0:09:26 > 0:09:30but before the mentors can even move to the village,
0:09:30 > 0:09:31decisions must be made.
0:09:31 > 0:09:35Jules has come to Newstead to plan the festival,
0:09:35 > 0:09:39which is scheduled for September.
0:09:39 > 0:09:44She's meeting with Mick, project leader Penny, and local volunteer Sharon to discuss the line-up.
0:09:44 > 0:09:49These are all the different bands that we're in conversation with.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52They plan to use £80,000 from their Big Lottery grant
0:09:52 > 0:09:55to fund the festival.
0:09:55 > 0:09:57The only thing that I go, "Ooh!" about
0:09:57 > 0:09:59is the fact that we always talked about
0:09:59 > 0:10:01having a fairly small, simple festival.
0:10:01 > 0:10:03And I know there's monetary sides
0:10:03 > 0:10:05and it's about making it as a business decision,
0:10:05 > 0:10:10but are we potentially just losing sight of something being kind of simple?
0:10:10 > 0:10:16- Are we taking on too big a thing? That's all I'd say.- We're actually making it easier for ourselves,
0:10:16 > 0:10:18because if we've got a big name,
0:10:18 > 0:10:22it's easier to shift tickets than with a name that isn't really a draw.
0:10:22 > 0:10:25It could help support that transition
0:10:25 > 0:10:31- from, you know, colliery village and brass band, to moving on. - Exactly. Yeah.
0:10:33 > 0:10:37'The festival is only one part of the business plan.
0:10:37 > 0:10:39'The country park and visitor centre
0:10:39 > 0:10:42'will be the location for a host of outdoor activities.'
0:10:44 > 0:10:47I mean, obviously it's a lovely piece of land to walk around,
0:10:47 > 0:10:50but is your primary motivation to try and keep it as it is,
0:10:50 > 0:10:55or is your primary motivation to do more than that?
0:10:55 > 0:10:58I think it's to do a lot more than that. Cos, I mean, for me,
0:10:58 > 0:11:03the whole essence of it is creating a true community green space that is about the local community,
0:11:03 > 0:11:05It's not a local authority owned area,
0:11:05 > 0:11:07it's an area that the community can run.
0:11:07 > 0:11:11Talk me through the overview of exactly what you're planning on doing on this amazing site.
0:11:11 > 0:11:15The two big things are the visitor centre and landscape works.
0:11:15 > 0:11:18It's about developing fishing lakes, but not just that.
0:11:18 > 0:11:21We'll create a variety of habitats in them.
0:11:21 > 0:11:24These have gone from being ponds which filtered out the waste from the pit,
0:11:24 > 0:11:28to becoming what we think will be a really nice amenity.
0:11:28 > 0:11:34Our aim is to have something that we can retain the open access,
0:11:34 > 0:11:35so it can be used by people,
0:11:35 > 0:11:39but it can be used to encourage this sort of thing elsewhere.
0:11:39 > 0:11:43Whilst I love all the things that you're doing, you need to have enough going on here
0:11:43 > 0:11:47- to make it a destination for people, really, don't you?- Yeah.
0:11:47 > 0:11:49There'll be all sorts of interesting things.
0:11:49 > 0:11:54Although we're talking about the key projects, and putting the infrastructure in place,
0:11:54 > 0:11:58- we are mindful that we are going to do other things. - A load of other stuff.
0:11:58 > 0:11:59What enormous great fun!
0:12:01 > 0:12:04'The first big activity will be the festival,
0:12:04 > 0:12:05'in just three months' time.'
0:12:05 > 0:12:08But the aim is for the festival to be,
0:12:08 > 0:12:12at this stage, the prime income generator.
0:12:12 > 0:12:16What happens if you don't sell enough tickets for the festival?
0:12:16 > 0:12:19Glastonbury wasn't a successful festival
0:12:19 > 0:12:21for the first half of its legacy.
0:12:21 > 0:12:26- If it works, it works. If it don't work...- You've done your best.- We've done our best.
0:12:27 > 0:12:31'As if setting up a festival and opening a country park isn't ambitious enough,
0:12:31 > 0:12:34'a major part of the plan to regenerate Newstead
0:12:34 > 0:12:37'is to provide training to the local young people.'
0:12:39 > 0:12:44Newstead's a little mining village, it ain't got nothing. This will kick it off.
0:12:44 > 0:12:48I'm on Jobseeker's at the minute. I'm hoping to get a job out of it in the end.
0:12:48 > 0:12:50Maybe get some decent qualifications out of it.
0:12:50 > 0:12:53It's a lifeline for everyone in the village.
0:12:56 > 0:13:00Although the work will be voluntary, they will gain qualifications.
0:13:00 > 0:13:04Mick and his colleague Lesley are the main co-ordinators.
0:13:04 > 0:13:07What qualifications do we get out of it at the end?
0:13:07 > 0:13:10Your fencing OCN, part of the countryside management,
0:13:10 > 0:13:11hedge-laying...
0:13:11 > 0:13:14What you put into it is what you're going to get out of it.
0:13:14 > 0:13:18We're going to be doing the building, doing all the fencing and hedging.
0:13:18 > 0:13:22We're going to create the lakes and we want more young people to get involved,
0:13:22 > 0:13:24because we want you guys to end up running that.
0:13:24 > 0:13:26It is really important for the village,
0:13:26 > 0:13:30cos if we can make this work and bring in money from the different activities
0:13:30 > 0:13:33there will be some paid roles as well
0:13:33 > 0:13:37so it will not all just going to be volunteered stuff.
0:13:39 > 0:13:43It's a rare opportunity for the young people in the area.
0:13:43 > 0:13:46If the mine was still open then everyone - even us, probably -
0:13:46 > 0:13:48would have a job in the mine.
0:13:48 > 0:13:51- It's hard, isn't it, really? When you look at it.- Yeah, it is hard.
0:13:51 > 0:13:54I mean, when the mine closed,
0:13:54 > 0:13:58there was a lot of people that lost out in jobs
0:13:58 > 0:14:01and found it really difficult to get other employment.
0:14:01 > 0:14:0520-year-old Ashley Day works for Mick's charity,
0:14:05 > 0:14:07and will be heavily involved in the project.
0:14:07 > 0:14:10He's eager to see his mates help out, too.
0:14:10 > 0:14:11Even if you do voluntary work,
0:14:11 > 0:14:14voluntary work ticks loads of boxes when you apply for a job.
0:14:14 > 0:14:18If you say you've done voluntary work, it looks like you're committed.
0:14:18 > 0:14:22Once the park develops, there will be more jobs, won't there?
0:14:22 > 0:14:28The work that 19-year-old Chris Bateman carries out on the park
0:14:28 > 0:14:31could be the lifeline he needs.
0:14:31 > 0:14:33I left school with not really anything.
0:14:33 > 0:14:38And when the pit tip's done, then maybe it will make jobs.
0:14:38 > 0:14:40For now, it's not paid work,
0:14:40 > 0:14:44but nonetheless, they're all willing to commit to the project.
0:14:44 > 0:14:47If you always live, thinking "It's not going to happen,"
0:14:47 > 0:14:52then you never even try to get something, you ever try to do that...
0:14:52 > 0:14:55The sooner we can get it up and running, the better.
0:14:58 > 0:15:00The time has come for Jules and Ant
0:15:00 > 0:15:03to say goodbye to their life in London.
0:15:05 > 0:15:11Jules is six months pregnant and the enormity of moving her family,
0:15:11 > 0:15:14including three-year-old Gordon, is dawning on her.
0:15:14 > 0:15:15It is really hitting home
0:15:15 > 0:15:19that we are making a major change in our lives.
0:15:19 > 0:15:23We are giving up an extraordinary amount, to be honest.
0:15:23 > 0:15:25It is not just us, it's, um,...
0:15:30 > 0:15:32..it's Gordon, too. So, yeah...
0:15:35 > 0:15:38You know, it's an adventure. It really is an adventure.
0:15:40 > 0:15:44A project of this scale will rely on more than just the village youth to pull it off.
0:15:44 > 0:15:47The whole community will be needed over the next year.
0:15:52 > 0:15:56Jules and Anthony will now live and work in Newstead for the next year
0:15:56 > 0:16:01to help deliver its festival and country park.
0:16:01 > 0:16:06Today, project leader Penny is preparing a welcome party for Jules and Ant
0:16:06 > 0:16:08where she hopes to sign up volunteers.
0:16:08 > 0:16:11There's five different areas.
0:16:11 > 0:16:16I've got promotions, safety, event crew, creative and country park.
0:16:16 > 0:16:20The whole project is built on community participation,
0:16:20 > 0:16:23on getting loads of people involved with new skills.
0:16:23 > 0:16:27So we have to make it work, and if it doesn't work today,
0:16:27 > 0:16:30then we've got to find another way of finding people.
0:16:31 > 0:16:34Jules and Ant have arrived at their new home
0:16:34 > 0:16:35in the heart of the village.
0:16:35 > 0:16:39And with the community waiting to welcome them at the pub,
0:16:39 > 0:16:43Ashley and Chris lead an army of local labour.
0:16:45 > 0:16:47There's quite a lot of us now that's come down to help.
0:16:47 > 0:16:51But that's what we're here for - helping them feel welcome in the village.
0:16:53 > 0:16:58Typical of what it's like around here - everybody will help everybody. A good community spirit.
0:16:58 > 0:17:01But all this kindness from strangers
0:17:01 > 0:17:03is a bit much for our hardened Londoners.
0:17:03 > 0:17:05What's really disarming is that everyone's so upfront,
0:17:05 > 0:17:09because we're used to everyone being very...
0:17:09 > 0:17:12Even if they are asking questions, it's very cushioned,
0:17:12 > 0:17:15But they straight out ask what we're doing,
0:17:15 > 0:17:17someone's already asked us how much we paid for the house.
0:17:17 > 0:17:20It's quite refreshing - but a bit disarming.
0:17:25 > 0:17:29It's a long way from the lives they're used to
0:17:29 > 0:17:30and a huge commitment.
0:17:33 > 0:17:36A commitment not just from them, but the whole community.
0:17:38 > 0:17:41Guys, thank you so, so much for coming today.
0:17:41 > 0:17:44Ant and I have literally just moved in to the village
0:17:44 > 0:17:49and we're only going to succeed if we involve as many people from the community as possible.
0:17:49 > 0:17:52So, please, help. We've got loads of roles still to fill
0:17:52 > 0:17:57and sign the volunteer forms and let us know how you can get involved.
0:17:57 > 0:18:01We've got two extremely talented people here who were going to make a big difference.
0:18:01 > 0:18:04It's really flattering for this village that they chose to come here. Thank you.
0:18:11 > 0:18:16Anyone who signs up to help can come to the festival for free.
0:18:16 > 0:18:20- I have signed up for litter picking. - Traffic management.
0:18:20 > 0:18:23I am going to be doing litter picking in the evening.
0:18:23 > 0:18:28Nearly 40 villagers have signed up to volunteer the festival -
0:18:28 > 0:18:30it's a promising start.
0:18:35 > 0:18:37It may be their first morning in Newstead,
0:18:37 > 0:18:40but Jules has been working on the festival for weeks.
0:18:40 > 0:18:42Tickets are already selling online
0:18:42 > 0:18:46and although Jules has confirmed Ash as a headline act,
0:18:46 > 0:18:50she's now busy finding other bands.
0:18:50 > 0:18:52We've got to announce the final line-up,
0:18:52 > 0:18:55and I'm hoping to be able to do that early next week.
0:18:55 > 0:18:58The team have called the festival Headstock,
0:18:58 > 0:19:00the name given to the old pit wheel,
0:19:00 > 0:19:06with the aim to link the festival to Newstead's mining heritage.
0:19:06 > 0:19:10I don't know how you guys feel about these logos.
0:19:10 > 0:19:13- That's slightly different, isn't it? The...- Yeah.
0:19:13 > 0:19:16This is more simplified. We've obviously kept the Headstock.
0:19:19 > 0:19:23As work forges on and the flyers are printed,
0:19:23 > 0:19:26the buzz around the festival in the village gathers.
0:19:26 > 0:19:29People think it's a shame that the Treefest has finished,
0:19:29 > 0:19:32because it's always been a free concert.
0:19:32 > 0:19:36I hope the new Festival is going to be the same as,
0:19:36 > 0:19:39or better, than the free festival that we used to have.
0:19:40 > 0:19:46People have to pay for festivals. If they're not paying to go to it, someone's paying to put it on.
0:19:48 > 0:19:53Just one week into life in Newstead and things aren't quite going according to plan.
0:19:53 > 0:19:59Ticket sales has to be my number one priority. We have got 158 tickets.
0:19:59 > 0:20:03We've got four and a half weeks to go till the festival,
0:20:03 > 0:20:06and that literally makes my heart race, if I'm honest.
0:20:06 > 0:20:09We need a major, major push.
0:20:13 > 0:20:16It's also a difficult time for the build.
0:20:16 > 0:20:20They had hoped to start construction next month, but there's a problem.
0:20:20 > 0:20:22The land is bursting with rare wildlife
0:20:22 > 0:20:28so the planners want it to be ecologically tested before they will grant permission to build.
0:20:28 > 0:20:29It's an old industrial site.
0:20:29 > 0:20:34We had not really expected that there would be quite such a concern over the ecology of the site,
0:20:34 > 0:20:40but the amount of information that the local authority require in order to process that application
0:20:40 > 0:20:41is quite significant.
0:20:41 > 0:20:43The delay means building in winter,
0:20:43 > 0:20:46but Ant would rather wait until spring.
0:20:46 > 0:20:49We've started to question the whole wisdom
0:20:49 > 0:20:51of building a site like this into winter.
0:20:51 > 0:20:54The logical way to build a building like this is into the summer
0:20:54 > 0:20:57so that we get the best weather at the end of the build
0:20:57 > 0:21:01and make sure that the finishes are put on at the time that's most appropriate.
0:21:02 > 0:21:06Volunteer Mark is planning to play a leading role in the build when it starts.
0:21:06 > 0:21:10For me to now feel as though
0:21:10 > 0:21:13we're not going to be building until the other side of winter is...
0:21:13 > 0:21:15You know, it is a big disappointment.
0:21:18 > 0:21:22- 'Ant must now break the news to Jules.'- Hello?
0:21:22 > 0:21:26- The project is delayed.- Right. - So I know that's disappointing.
0:21:26 > 0:21:27I mean, I know... You know...
0:21:27 > 0:21:29(CLEARS HER THROAT) Delayed till when?
0:21:29 > 0:21:31I think we are looking at six weeks
0:21:31 > 0:21:35before we can reasonably get any kind of planning application in.
0:21:35 > 0:21:41What we have got is the planning officers and all of the specialists on the local authority side
0:21:41 > 0:21:45are now working to fast-track what we're doing.
0:21:45 > 0:21:49- When are you going to start building? - We're going to start in February.
0:21:49 > 0:21:54Yeah, it's pretty shocking news, frankly.
0:21:54 > 0:21:56There's too many risks
0:21:56 > 0:22:01and the potential for us to showcase a building disaster is, I think...
0:22:01 > 0:22:04Would be quite great if we went to this way.
0:22:04 > 0:22:06So I just need to have a look at it.
0:22:06 > 0:22:10I know I don't look it, but I'm exceptionally disappointed.
0:22:10 > 0:22:11Because it's...
0:22:11 > 0:22:14We were meant to start building in a month.
0:22:15 > 0:22:20It's a big blow and could mean the building won't be open in time for the tourist season.
0:22:20 > 0:22:25- Why can you not start? I want you to start right now.- I do, but...
0:22:25 > 0:22:27if we start building now,
0:22:27 > 0:22:30we'll be doing delicate finishes in October, November,
0:22:30 > 0:22:33- and it's just not feasible... - But in reality,
0:22:33 > 0:22:38you might get a terrible bit of weather in March and April, with six foot of snow.
0:22:38 > 0:22:42- The sooner it's up, the sooner you'll get some money. - I totally agree.
0:22:42 > 0:22:46- It's one of the problems... - But, we've decided, though. - OK. Well, you can build.
0:22:46 > 0:22:52And then when I come and stand over your muddy hole in the ground in November, I'll go, "I did say."
0:22:52 > 0:22:56But you have to make a reasoned decision on the basis of the information you have.
0:22:56 > 0:23:00It's incredibly vulnerable to the weather. So whatever we do, it'll be a risk.
0:23:00 > 0:23:03So when are you going to build it?
0:23:03 > 0:23:07Well, we're going to be on site in January-February.
0:23:07 > 0:23:08Tell me, how is the festival going?
0:23:08 > 0:23:11Ticket sales, to be honest, not doing well at the moment.
0:23:11 > 0:23:13We're three weeks from the event.
0:23:13 > 0:23:15So there is a massive mountain to climb.
0:23:15 > 0:23:17- How many have you sold?- 200.
0:23:17 > 0:23:19So you're a bit nervous, but...
0:23:19 > 0:23:22You're still not despairing of it.
0:23:22 > 0:23:25It's an amazing event. You would pay more than £20 to see Ash alone,
0:23:25 > 0:23:27and the line-up is sensational.
0:23:27 > 0:23:31So it's really just about getting people to hear about it,
0:23:31 > 0:23:33and to know about it.
0:23:35 > 0:23:37PR is Jules' business,
0:23:37 > 0:23:41so she's putting Operation Ticket Sales into overdrive.
0:23:41 > 0:23:44Crazy-busy on Headstock Festival.
0:23:44 > 0:23:48We've got Ash, who are headlining. Over 100 volunteers signed up...
0:23:48 > 0:23:53But she's not alone, the whole community is in promo mode.
0:23:53 > 0:23:55- Hello, I'm Sarah.- Hello.
0:23:55 > 0:23:56You're the President of the WI.
0:23:56 > 0:23:59We'll work with the children making the bunting
0:23:59 > 0:24:00and the flags and things.
0:24:02 > 0:24:04Can I give you a leaflet?
0:24:04 > 0:24:07Can you explain to me, what are you doing?
0:24:07 > 0:24:11We're building the wheel, something that was on the pit many years ago.
0:24:17 > 0:24:22The Big Lottery Fund were looking for six villages in Britain, and seemed to like the plans we had.
0:24:22 > 0:24:24There you go.
0:24:26 > 0:24:29We'll have more about the Headstock Festival
0:24:29 > 0:24:31on East Midlands Today at 6.30 this evening.
0:24:35 > 0:24:39Ashley and Chris must now become novice press officers.
0:24:39 > 0:24:42Newstead is hosting such an event,
0:24:42 > 0:24:44tell us why it's so special for the area.
0:24:44 > 0:24:48The name of the festival, Headstock, that's in relation to the pit.
0:24:48 > 0:24:51It's bringing the whole village together
0:24:51 > 0:24:53and it's what the village needs.
0:24:57 > 0:24:59Headstock!
0:24:59 > 0:25:01Get your leaflets here today!
0:25:05 > 0:25:07It's got a bit of interest. I'll start dishing them out,
0:25:07 > 0:25:11explaining what exactly we're doing, what Headstock is about. Time to get started.
0:25:15 > 0:25:17We're getting a really good response now.
0:25:18 > 0:25:22- All right, sir? Could I interest you in a leaflet?- We didn't know it existed, until now.
0:25:22 > 0:25:25- Big cheer - three, two, one...- Yay!
0:25:28 > 0:25:29Come to Newstead!
0:25:30 > 0:25:32Good luck on the big day.
0:25:40 > 0:25:45The community has put their heart and soul into a PR drive.
0:25:45 > 0:25:48The team aim to sell 1,500 tickets
0:25:48 > 0:25:50and with the festival now four days away
0:25:50 > 0:25:52everyone is gathering to hear an update.
0:25:52 > 0:25:56We've distributed, in total, about 35,000 flyers
0:25:56 > 0:26:01Last week... We've probably got, in total, 200 media hits
0:26:01 > 0:26:04online and in the regional press.
0:26:04 > 0:26:07Despite their best efforts, it's not good news.
0:26:07 > 0:26:10Ticket sales are...
0:26:10 > 0:26:12600.
0:26:12 > 0:26:16Which is really a bit gutting at this particular juncture.
0:26:16 > 0:26:17We're getting it out there,
0:26:17 > 0:26:22the frustrating thing is it doesn't seem to be translating into selling tickets.
0:26:22 > 0:26:24I find it frustrating we haven't sold more.
0:26:24 > 0:26:29None of us expected to be here on the Tuesday before the festival,
0:26:29 > 0:26:32having sold in the region of 600 tickets.
0:26:32 > 0:26:34It could've been better. But, you know,
0:26:34 > 0:26:37I'm still confident that a lot of people are going to turn up on the day.
0:26:37 > 0:26:40Where have we gone wrong?
0:26:42 > 0:26:46There's no pulling out, the money has been committed.
0:26:46 > 0:26:50All the village can do now is hope that the crowds turn up on the day.
0:26:50 > 0:26:55So it's all hands to the pump to get the site looking like a festival.
0:27:04 > 0:27:06It's all right, I'll do it myself(!)
0:27:08 > 0:27:10Woo-hoo!
0:27:12 > 0:27:14The festival gates open tomorrow,
0:27:14 > 0:27:17it's been a mammoth achievement organizing the event,
0:27:17 > 0:27:21but the stress of the ticket sales is overwhelming.
0:27:21 > 0:27:24- Ticket sales are standing now at just under 700.- Just under 700.
0:27:24 > 0:27:27Which is not where we expected to be now.
0:27:27 > 0:27:30On the day, how many do we need to sell on the gate to break even?
0:27:30 > 0:27:32Realistically, between 1,200 and 1,500 -
0:27:32 > 0:27:35depending on what ticket types there are -
0:27:35 > 0:27:38we need to have through the door tomorrow.
0:27:38 > 0:27:39So that's a big ask, I think.
0:27:39 > 0:27:41So, worst-case scenario,
0:27:41 > 0:27:45- we're looking at potentially losing 30,000?- Yeah.
0:27:45 > 0:27:47If we have an absolute shocker tomorrow.
0:27:47 > 0:27:50It is gutting to be sitting here at this stage, the day before...
0:27:50 > 0:27:53SHE COUGHS
0:27:58 > 0:28:00Hey, baby, come here.
0:28:00 > 0:28:02That's not much of a hug.
0:28:02 > 0:28:04I want a proper hug, come on.
0:28:06 > 0:28:09- It'll be OK.- I feel like I've let everybody down.
0:28:09 > 0:28:11You haven't. This looks fantastic.
0:28:11 > 0:28:14Anyone who comes here tomorrow will have a great time, I know that.
0:28:14 > 0:28:17Imagine if you're one of only 400 people here looking at Ash!
0:28:17 > 0:28:19- It's like a private concert!- It is.
0:28:19 > 0:28:22- Amazing! It's amazing. - Thanks, darling.
0:28:39 > 0:28:42The festival starts in just one hour, so every minute counts.
0:28:44 > 0:28:48- Pluck-a-duck, coconut shy...- Cake stalls...- Cake stalls, there, yeah.
0:28:48 > 0:28:52We don't have any tables and chairs on the wristband exchanges.
0:28:52 > 0:28:54So you're fully staffed down there now?
0:28:54 > 0:28:56What a shambles.
0:28:58 > 0:29:02At 10am the gates open to the first few punters.
0:29:02 > 0:29:06The hope is that at least 1,500 people will pour in
0:29:06 > 0:29:08by the end of the day.
0:29:10 > 0:29:15Kicking off the first ever Headstock is the Newstead Colliery Brass Band.
0:29:15 > 0:29:19MUSIC: "Cry Me A River"
0:29:19 > 0:29:24Playing to an audience of, well, 31.
0:29:24 > 0:29:26But it's still early.
0:29:33 > 0:29:38Thankfully, by early afternoon, partygoers arrive thick and fast
0:29:38 > 0:29:41and the site looks much more like a festival.
0:29:41 > 0:29:44SHE SINGS
0:29:44 > 0:29:48But any enjoyment of the festival for its organizers is tainted
0:29:48 > 0:29:51by the ongoing pressure of ticket sales.
0:29:51 > 0:29:53I've just checked tickets so far.
0:29:53 > 0:29:55We've erm... We've collected about two grand.
0:29:55 > 0:29:58But that's the second collection and including my bit.
0:29:58 > 0:30:00Thanks, bye.
0:30:00 > 0:30:03As long as we break even with this, and we've set some foundations
0:30:03 > 0:30:08and we've got people coming along who will go away and bring their friends next year,
0:30:08 > 0:30:09we'll have had a really good event.
0:30:09 > 0:30:14We've done a good job of publicising it, so I think every little helps. We're getting there.
0:30:14 > 0:30:17# To prove to everyone
0:30:17 > 0:30:20# That I exist... #
0:30:20 > 0:30:22As the day wears on,
0:30:22 > 0:30:26the hope is that more people will arrive to see the headline band, Ash.
0:30:26 > 0:30:29No festival is complete without a headline act,
0:30:29 > 0:30:33with a luxury dressing room and an onslaught of groupies.
0:30:33 > 0:30:36But Ash will have to make do with the Newstead WI,
0:30:36 > 0:30:38who have baked them some cakes.
0:30:38 > 0:30:41- Let's have you out! - Come on out, guys! Hi!
0:30:41 > 0:30:44- Come on!- Come on, Tim! - How're you doing? What have we got?
0:30:44 > 0:30:47'The ladies have got lead singer Tim Wheeler
0:30:47 > 0:30:49'right where they want him -
0:30:49 > 0:30:51'eating a slice of fruit cake.
0:30:51 > 0:30:52'And it's going down well!'
0:30:52 > 0:30:55- This is good. This'll give us good energy.- Good!- Yeah, for the show.
0:30:55 > 0:30:58Have you guys have got a dressing room of your own?
0:30:58 > 0:31:00No! We've got a tent.
0:31:00 > 0:31:01'Easy tiger!'
0:31:08 > 0:31:12At 9.30, the crowd for the headline act looks impressive.
0:31:14 > 0:31:15CHEERING AND WHISTLING
0:31:15 > 0:31:17Welcome to the stage...Ash!
0:31:30 > 0:31:33Tomorrow, the community will be eager to count the takings,
0:31:33 > 0:31:38but for now, the festival has shaped up to be a great experience.
0:31:38 > 0:31:42- It's just such a good atmosphere. - But to do it for something which is so worthwhile
0:31:42 > 0:31:43is absolutely brilliant.
0:31:43 > 0:31:48Looking round so far, I think it's been a cracking little day
0:31:48 > 0:31:51and I'm really pleased with the way it's gone so far.
0:31:51 > 0:31:53I'm really proud of you, baby.
0:31:53 > 0:31:55Come here.
0:31:55 > 0:31:56I'm really proud of you.
0:32:00 > 0:32:02Thank you so much! Cheers, good night!
0:32:02 > 0:32:04WHISTLING AND APPLAUSE
0:32:09 > 0:32:12With the festival hangover pounding,
0:32:12 > 0:32:15it's time for the team to assess the money.
0:32:15 > 0:32:17But after a final count,
0:32:17 > 0:32:22sadly, the first ever Headstock Festival has made a loss.
0:32:22 > 0:32:27Without the updated expenditure, we're about, at the moment...
0:32:27 > 0:32:31just under 30,000 short on the festival.
0:32:31 > 0:32:35Some of the feedback's been, like, "The ticket price was measly."
0:32:35 > 0:32:40I thought - I might be wrong - I don't know how we sold the tickets and I don't know what the split was
0:32:40 > 0:32:42but it seemed to me there were quite a lot of people there
0:32:42 > 0:32:45who were local people or Treefest people,
0:32:45 > 0:32:47and I still don't feel we attracted that wider audience.
0:32:47 > 0:32:50We will get through it. We definitely will.
0:32:50 > 0:32:53I am still personally gutted.
0:32:53 > 0:32:56The whole point of this is to make a sustainable business.
0:32:56 > 0:33:01We will still do that, but it is going to be so much harder to do that given where we are now.
0:33:04 > 0:33:06Everything now hinges on the build.
0:33:06 > 0:33:11As late summer gives way to autumn, then winter,
0:33:11 > 0:33:13there's no sign of planning permission.
0:33:13 > 0:33:17For Jules and Ant at least, by November, there's some good news.
0:33:17 > 0:33:22So would you like to introduce us to Newstead's newest resident?
0:33:22 > 0:33:24Hey, Claudia.
0:33:24 > 0:33:27Are you going to say hello?
0:33:27 > 0:33:31As Newstead's latest resident settles into her new home,
0:33:31 > 0:33:35business is never far from her parents' mind.
0:33:35 > 0:33:38Sort of, I guess, halfway through the project.
0:33:38 > 0:33:42We've had Headstock, but there's so much more to do.
0:33:42 > 0:33:45Obviously, the build is just about to start,
0:33:45 > 0:33:47as soon as the snow's gone.
0:33:47 > 0:33:51And, of course, we've got to start working on the country park
0:33:51 > 0:33:55and getting all that up and ready for when the build's ready.
0:33:58 > 0:33:59'As the new year arrives,
0:33:59 > 0:34:03'the volunteers are eager to move back onto site.'
0:34:03 > 0:34:08It's really disappointing that after so much hard work, the festival didn't actually make any money.
0:34:08 > 0:34:13So I'm here today to find out just how they hope to get it back on track.
0:34:13 > 0:34:16'So with the festival that came and went, it wasn't...'
0:34:16 > 0:34:19I mean, it was fantastic, because there was the community,
0:34:19 > 0:34:21everyone enjoyed it and you all got together,
0:34:21 > 0:34:26but it didn't quite make the money that you were hoping it was going to make, did it?
0:34:26 > 0:34:29That's really hurt us, there's no doubt about it,
0:34:29 > 0:34:33and it's led to sleepless nights on all of our parts, I think.
0:34:33 > 0:34:37The hard financial reality is that we didn't make a profit in year one.
0:34:37 > 0:34:40To me, setting up a festival, you attract a group of people.
0:34:40 > 0:34:46You create a crowd of people who come and enjoy that event and come back next year with their friends.
0:34:46 > 0:34:47I think, the first few years,
0:34:47 > 0:34:50you've got to tolerate not being financially successful
0:34:50 > 0:34:55and it put us on the map, as well. It established us as a festival and that was important.
0:34:55 > 0:34:57So you've learned from that, moving on,
0:34:57 > 0:35:01and now about to start the build.
0:35:01 > 0:35:04I have to say, that being part of the build team,
0:35:04 > 0:35:08I'm really champing at the bit now to get something going.
0:35:08 > 0:35:12We've had the festival, we've had the winter - we're now ready to go.
0:35:12 > 0:35:15I've been looking at that lake and that site for months now
0:35:15 > 0:35:17and waiting to get something on it.
0:35:17 > 0:35:21We're a couple of weeks away from planning permission.
0:35:21 > 0:35:25- That's been a year-long process.- So you need to shift it now, don't you?
0:35:25 > 0:35:29Get this building up and finished and... So you can actually get on.
0:35:29 > 0:35:33Next time, I'm bringing my fishing rods. I'm hoping you're going to teach me.
0:35:33 > 0:35:37- Absolutely.- Come in March and bring a sledgehammer and you can put in some tyres.
0:35:39 > 0:35:42The delay on planning permission won't dampen spirits,
0:35:42 > 0:35:44and work on the country park is well under way,
0:35:44 > 0:35:46thanks to Ashley and the lads.
0:35:46 > 0:35:51What do you think it's that changes someone to make them think,
0:35:51 > 0:35:54"I won't lie in bed and watch telly or play on the Xbox"?
0:35:54 > 0:35:58If you can give someone the opportunity to work on something
0:35:58 > 0:36:03and then they take credit from that, whether it be qualifications, just self-confidence,
0:36:03 > 0:36:06that's all that they need, really.
0:36:07 > 0:36:12'Volunteer Chris is committed to gaining his Open College qualification.'
0:36:12 > 0:36:15What do you reckon the alternative is,
0:36:15 > 0:36:18if you didn't come down and help?
0:36:18 > 0:36:21I'd be sat about on the street, on a corner or something.
0:36:21 > 0:36:22You know what I mean? Dossing.
0:36:22 > 0:36:24What do you think you get out of it?
0:36:24 > 0:36:29Some things that we're learning out here, doing pathways and stuff, putting fences in,
0:36:29 > 0:36:33It's something I've seen done but I've never done it myself.
0:36:33 > 0:36:35So now I'll be able to learn how to do it
0:36:35 > 0:36:37and maybe it'll progress into a job,
0:36:37 > 0:36:40I'll get a job out of doing something like this.
0:36:40 > 0:36:44I think it's really impressive that you're out here. Good for you.
0:36:47 > 0:36:48A few weeks later,
0:36:48 > 0:36:52Ant and Penny finally get the news they've been waiting months for.
0:36:52 > 0:36:56OK, brilliant. Thanks very much for all your help, Nick. Bye-bye.
0:36:56 > 0:36:58- Yep?- We got consent.- Woo-hoo!
0:36:58 > 0:37:00Come on. THAT was hard-fought.
0:37:00 > 0:37:04Work can at last begin on the visitors' centre.
0:37:04 > 0:37:07Trouble brews immediately.
0:37:07 > 0:37:13Unsteady mining spoil means much more money than expected must be poured into the foundations.
0:37:17 > 0:37:19Thankfully, Mark and an army of volunteers
0:37:19 > 0:37:23are on hand to build the main structural wall,
0:37:23 > 0:37:27which will be made entirely from old tyres filled with spoil from the mine.
0:37:27 > 0:37:31What we're digging out and ramming back into our wall
0:37:31 > 0:37:36is the waste product of the mining industry that sort of kept our communities alive.
0:37:36 > 0:37:41We're actually building a visitor centre on our country park
0:37:41 > 0:37:48out of a waste material that some of our fathers and grandfathers spent their lives working with.
0:37:53 > 0:37:54As work begins,
0:37:54 > 0:37:57the sense of Newstead's community spirit is strong.
0:37:57 > 0:38:01Every block for the future is grounded in their history.
0:38:01 > 0:38:04Getting the community together, just giving it a go, really,
0:38:04 > 0:38:07and just to see how they actually do build it.
0:38:07 > 0:38:09Because you never know - this could be the future.
0:38:09 > 0:38:11It's better than sitting at home.
0:38:11 > 0:38:14Come out, get warmed up, get involved.
0:38:14 > 0:38:18I'm just here purely for the experience, really. Maybe get a job!
0:38:18 > 0:38:20We're both in our 70s.
0:38:20 > 0:38:23I'm 72 and my husband will be 74 at the end of the month,
0:38:23 > 0:38:25so we love doing anything like this.
0:38:25 > 0:38:28My dad was a mechanical fitter at Newstead Pit
0:38:28 > 0:38:33and my uncle and his father worked here as well. My grandfather was a deputy at Newstead Pit.
0:38:33 > 0:38:37so there's been quite a mining history in my family.
0:38:37 > 0:38:39To do something productive with the area
0:38:39 > 0:38:42and bring something back to the community
0:38:42 > 0:38:43will help out quite a lot.
0:38:50 > 0:38:54As always, the local youth are out in force,
0:38:54 > 0:38:56including Ashley and Chris.
0:38:56 > 0:39:00It's hard work, but it's all come together. It keeps you going, seeing all the volunteers.
0:39:00 > 0:39:03It's a learning curve for everyone.
0:39:03 > 0:39:07It's the first time I've done it and the first time a lot of people have,
0:39:07 > 0:39:09because there's not many builds like this.
0:39:11 > 0:39:17If everyone gets together, or certain people get together, it'll benefit everyone.
0:39:19 > 0:39:23It's hard, trying to find work.
0:39:23 > 0:39:24It's really hard.
0:39:30 > 0:39:32It's a pretty gratifying sight. I'm very pleased.
0:39:32 > 0:39:36It's not a particularly nice day today, but we've got a full complement of people.
0:39:36 > 0:39:42And whenever I pictured this, I always had this image in my head of some sort of Hollywood epic,
0:39:42 > 0:39:44the building of the pyramids, Ben-Hur or something,
0:39:44 > 0:39:48and it's not quite the building of the pyramids, but it's not far off.
0:39:48 > 0:39:52We've got a good crowd of people and the wall's coming up nicely. We're very pleased.
0:39:52 > 0:39:55At the end of a gruelling day,
0:39:55 > 0:39:58the first 180 tyres are filled,
0:39:58 > 0:40:00but it's not quite Ant's pyramid yet.
0:40:04 > 0:40:08The community must fill 1,200 tyres in total,
0:40:08 > 0:40:10each one requiring muscle and sweat.
0:40:10 > 0:40:13Over a hundred volunteers have signed up,
0:40:13 > 0:40:15determined to take the building to the next stage,
0:40:15 > 0:40:18when contractors will make the structure watertight
0:40:18 > 0:40:19with timber and glass.
0:40:31 > 0:40:33With the site looking so muddy,
0:40:33 > 0:40:37it's hard for the team to visualize a finished country park.
0:40:37 > 0:40:41So today, Mick and the lads are off to meet Jules and Ant in North Yorkshire.
0:40:41 > 0:40:46We're going to look at another park that I guess, although I don't know all about it,
0:40:46 > 0:40:51does similar things to what we're hoping to achieve at the country park Newstead and Annesley.
0:40:51 > 0:40:54It's important to get the lads involved from the beginning.
0:40:54 > 0:40:58Because they're going to carry this on, it gives them a real sense of ownership -
0:40:58 > 0:41:00it's theirs, they're going to do the work on it.
0:41:00 > 0:41:05At some point, we'll be too tired to carry on. These guys will carry this forward.
0:41:07 > 0:41:11They're visiting Kilnsey Park, which also has a visitor centre
0:41:11 > 0:41:14and lots of park attractions, including fishing.
0:41:17 > 0:41:21In Newstead, Mick and the lads have planned coarse fishing,
0:41:21 > 0:41:22for serious anglers.
0:41:22 > 0:41:25But Kilnsey is geared much more towards families.
0:41:25 > 0:41:28Dangle this bit in the water to start off with.
0:41:28 > 0:41:30- Have you fished before?- Yes.- Yeah?
0:41:30 > 0:41:34There you go, well done!
0:41:35 > 0:41:37And there you go, that's your fish.
0:41:37 > 0:41:41What do I do, what do I do?
0:41:41 > 0:41:44With two lakes at Mick's disposal back in Newstead,
0:41:44 > 0:41:47it seems an attractive proposition.
0:41:47 > 0:41:51The economics of it - it's £6 a rod and you pay for the trout as well.
0:41:51 > 0:41:54So the trout are all paid for, they breed their own, grow them on.
0:41:54 > 0:41:59So they bring the money back in and they're making £6 a rod
0:41:59 > 0:42:01and during the summer, it's rammed.
0:42:01 > 0:42:05So in terms of the income side of it, it's probably pretty substantial.
0:42:05 > 0:42:08The trip has inspired them all.
0:42:08 > 0:42:12I've seen all the little kids on the little lake, fishing and enjoying themselves.
0:42:12 > 0:42:17They're not only learning how to fish, they're learning something educational at the same time.
0:42:17 > 0:42:20If we could get that, it's going to bring a nice income in as well.
0:42:23 > 0:42:28But in Newstead, they're a long way off a finished country park.
0:42:28 > 0:42:33Ever more determined, Mick and the lads are working to get the park on track,
0:42:33 > 0:42:36starting with perimeter fencing.
0:42:37 > 0:42:39Here, where these guys are putting this up,
0:42:39 > 0:42:44there's a gate going in, so we can access this part of the site and people can access a footpath.
0:42:44 > 0:42:47We're doing 3,000 metres, which is a considerable amount.
0:42:47 > 0:42:51We've got about another seven weeks to complete the fencing.
0:42:51 > 0:42:54Guys, we're going to talk about putting this strut in.
0:42:54 > 0:43:01It's more about people creating it for themselves, coming along as volunteers or member supporters,
0:43:01 > 0:43:05and that's how we see the plot developing over the next five or ten years.
0:43:05 > 0:43:07You're learning new things and getting to grips with fencing.
0:43:07 > 0:43:10I've never dreamt about doing fencing before in my life,
0:43:10 > 0:43:13so it is something that I could get the hang of.
0:43:13 > 0:43:17It's not as hard as I thought it would be, but it's hard work, sweating.
0:43:17 > 0:43:19There's an awful lot of work to do.
0:43:19 > 0:43:24Despite the many hours young people have spent making fencing,
0:43:24 > 0:43:25there's a setback.
0:43:28 > 0:43:30Fish must be stocked in the lake in winter months.
0:43:30 > 0:43:34But the lakes here just won't be finished in time.
0:43:34 > 0:43:38We're all hoping we make the deadline of getting the lakes open by the end of March.
0:43:38 > 0:43:40It's a significant part of our income.
0:43:40 > 0:43:45Looking at other aspects of the country park - the festival in September didn't make money.
0:43:45 > 0:43:49It's made it a tricky job. If we'd had planning permission back when we started in the summer,
0:43:49 > 0:43:52then we'd be sailing by now.
0:43:52 > 0:43:56To cover the extra costs the build faced at the outset,
0:43:56 > 0:43:59the team has applied for extra funding to help get it finished.
0:43:59 > 0:44:02If the lakes can't open by summer,
0:44:02 > 0:44:06then Jules hopes at least the visitor centre will bring in some money.
0:44:06 > 0:44:08For me, personally,
0:44:08 > 0:44:12there will have to be a lot more done before I can visualize it, and this is what you do.
0:44:12 > 0:44:14You come up here and get a lump in your throat
0:44:14 > 0:44:17because it's unbelievable what's been going on.
0:44:17 > 0:44:19It's really, really impressive,
0:44:19 > 0:44:22but in terms of visualizing the finished thing,
0:44:22 > 0:44:23that's not what I do.
0:44:23 > 0:44:27So for me, it's like, "Really? You've got nine weeks to go?"
0:44:27 > 0:44:29No, it's going to be open in ten weeks.
0:44:29 > 0:44:31We've got a programme, we're on the programme.
0:44:31 > 0:44:35We might be two days shy at the moment.
0:44:35 > 0:44:38What's getting me now, especially now this timber wall's up,
0:44:38 > 0:44:41is the scale of it.
0:44:41 > 0:44:44I'm just looking at it now, thinking...
0:44:44 > 0:44:47What you've got to remember is that most of the area that's now mud
0:44:47 > 0:44:49is going to be covered in water.
0:44:49 > 0:44:52The worry about the lakes and how much longer it's going to take,
0:44:52 > 0:44:57because the lakes aren't bringing in income as early as we'd hoped, puts extra pressure on the building.
0:44:57 > 0:45:01It's frustrating, because it puts a lot of pressure on the business.
0:45:01 > 0:45:05- But we're opening in June.- OK. - We are opening in June.- OK.- Uh-huh.
0:45:11 > 0:45:13The next five weeks race by
0:45:13 > 0:45:17as the build volunteers work round the clock to get the tyre wall finished.
0:45:20 > 0:45:24And thanks to a hundred locals and thousands of hours of work,
0:45:24 > 0:45:28Newstead's mining legacy is sealed in a wall
0:45:28 > 0:45:32built from 1,200 rammed-earth tyres.
0:45:32 > 0:45:33It's a gratifying sight,
0:45:33 > 0:45:35but the pot is dwindling.
0:45:35 > 0:45:40We've had some bad luck in the ground, we've had to put a lot more money in the foundations,
0:45:40 > 0:45:43the lakes have been delayed by six months.
0:45:43 > 0:45:46That has led us to a pinch at the end of the project.
0:45:49 > 0:45:52Nonetheless, work forges on.
0:46:08 > 0:46:14The team has spent just over £250,000 on the building so far.
0:46:14 > 0:46:18But with low funds, it's now down to the villagers to finish the job.
0:46:20 > 0:46:23'The team is feeling the pressure.'
0:46:23 > 0:46:26How is the money going here?
0:46:26 > 0:46:28The money is tough at the moment.
0:46:28 > 0:46:31- I mean, there's no denying that, the money is...- Running out?
0:46:31 > 0:46:34We're pretty close to running out, yes.
0:46:34 > 0:46:38And we've still got an enormous amount to do. We've been hit on all fronts, really.
0:46:38 > 0:46:43We didn't make the money we were hoping to for Headstock, the lakes are behind schedule,
0:46:43 > 0:46:45and the build is taking more money than we hoped.
0:46:45 > 0:46:50- How does that make you feel? - Very, very stressed, if I'm honest.
0:46:50 > 0:46:54Because we've got to have a sustainable project here.
0:46:54 > 0:46:57If we don't, then every bit of hard work that everybody's put in,
0:46:57 > 0:47:01including 300 members of the community, is for nothing.
0:47:01 > 0:47:06In fact, we'll leave a community that's more downheartened if we can't make this sustainable.
0:47:06 > 0:47:10So it's incredibly stressful for all of us at the moment.
0:47:10 > 0:47:12Do you feel absolutely confident
0:47:12 > 0:47:15that this is going to be financially self-sufficient?
0:47:15 > 0:47:19I genuinely believe that it's going to take us a little bit longer to get there,
0:47:19 > 0:47:23because we have dared to dream big and it will take us longer, but it will be sustainable.
0:47:23 > 0:47:27We must emphasise that the lakes aren't far off completion,
0:47:27 > 0:47:31so by October, with a minimal amount of work, we can have those in place.
0:47:31 > 0:47:34There are other aspects, particularly the build...
0:47:34 > 0:47:39What's interesting is we're running low on money, but we're not running low on sort of social capital.
0:47:39 > 0:47:44We have a fantastic amount of energy from the community and more involvement across the board.
0:47:44 > 0:47:48It's extraordinary, the people here. They're going to succeed anyway, whatever happens,
0:47:48 > 0:47:51and I think that's the real currency
0:47:51 > 0:47:55and that's the thing that should be tapped into to feed the future.
0:47:55 > 0:47:59The village hasn't had the best of reputations and that's come on leaps and bounds.
0:47:59 > 0:48:05The amount of positive publicity and visitors we're getting, different groups are coming to look and going,
0:48:05 > 0:48:08"Wow, what an amazing place this is," which it is. We knew that.
0:48:08 > 0:48:13So what's the key to getting all this finished? What's the key to making it work?
0:48:13 > 0:48:16The key to getting it finished now is absolutely the community.
0:48:16 > 0:48:21They will be the people that allow us to invest in the park and to grow it in the future.
0:48:23 > 0:48:28Newstead's novice entrepreneurs aren't about to throw in the towel
0:48:28 > 0:48:32and they all have business ideas for the park.
0:48:32 > 0:48:37These bicycles were donated by Nottinghamshire police. A lot of them need punctures repairing,
0:48:37 > 0:48:39the brake cables tightened up.
0:48:39 > 0:48:43We can look at them like starting up a little business.
0:48:43 > 0:48:45Like, hiring out bicycles.
0:48:45 > 0:48:50The plucky locals have even more up their sleeve, including arts...
0:48:50 > 0:48:54- Sculpture workshops. - This is a perfect place for having storytelling events.
0:48:54 > 0:48:57..And exercise...
0:48:57 > 0:49:01Nordic walking is a Scandinavian fitness technique.
0:49:01 > 0:49:06..and of course, the WI ladies are always looking for a chance to be involved.
0:49:06 > 0:49:08We do bring cakes from the WI, yeah.
0:49:08 > 0:49:10Mmm, delicious!
0:49:10 > 0:49:15But Ashley and Chris hope the biggest income could be made from family fishing.
0:49:15 > 0:49:18Have you got a business plan out here? A cunning plan?
0:49:18 > 0:49:21Getting the lakes set up, you know, for like...
0:49:21 > 0:49:24In a way, more like a coarse fishing lake,
0:49:24 > 0:49:27you know, for younger people.
0:49:27 > 0:49:31If we could offer it at a low price, we'd still bring income in,
0:49:31 > 0:49:35but they're getting a great deal and a good day's fishing as well.
0:49:35 > 0:49:37I think that sounds a really great plan, I have to say.
0:49:37 > 0:49:40And with so many ideas for business,
0:49:40 > 0:49:44the locals are more determined than ever to finish the build.
0:49:44 > 0:49:48Everyone's on standby to finish it by the end of the summer.
0:49:48 > 0:49:51'I can really see Ant's vision here.'
0:49:51 > 0:49:53This is going to be an amazing building.
0:49:53 > 0:49:56Once the community get in here and finish it off...
0:49:56 > 0:50:01this is going to be such a great asset for Newstead village.
0:50:01 > 0:50:03# I need dollar, dollar
0:50:03 > 0:50:05# Dollar, that's what I need Hey, hey
0:50:05 > 0:50:07# Well, I need... #
0:50:07 > 0:50:08With the interior work to complete,
0:50:08 > 0:50:11Ant and Mark are leading the volunteers
0:50:11 > 0:50:15through clearing the ground and filling in the tyre wall.
0:50:15 > 0:50:18We haven't finished it, we've run out of funds,
0:50:18 > 0:50:22but what's more important is that we've got the people and the whole community is involved.
0:50:22 > 0:50:24They've really rallied forth.
0:50:26 > 0:50:28As a leading volunteer,
0:50:28 > 0:50:32Mark is dedicating much of his free time to the build.
0:50:32 > 0:50:35We are where we are, and I think we've worked really hard
0:50:35 > 0:50:38to get to this point, and, you know,
0:50:38 > 0:50:40we need to push on, and we need a little bit of help,
0:50:40 > 0:50:43a little bit of luck, just to get this finished.
0:50:43 > 0:50:47# I had a job But the boss man let me go... #
0:50:49 > 0:50:52But as long as the build and the park remain incomplete,
0:50:52 > 0:50:56sadly, much-needed income from the tourist trade is lost.
0:51:01 > 0:51:04The lads are now keener than ever
0:51:04 > 0:51:07to start up an angling business on their country park.
0:51:07 > 0:51:10I hope that build gets finished, though,
0:51:10 > 0:51:13because that's going to be the main attraction up there.
0:51:13 > 0:51:17Now, by putting that visitors' centre and everything there,
0:51:17 > 0:51:19that'll be the new tourist attraction.
0:51:19 > 0:51:23I think eventually it'll get there, it'll be a success.
0:51:23 > 0:51:26It's down to us now to help get it finished and everything.
0:51:26 > 0:51:31If we want it, we've got to help, we've got to get it finished.
0:51:31 > 0:51:32Self-achievement as well, innit?
0:51:32 > 0:51:34Something to look back on and be proud of.
0:51:37 > 0:51:40MUSIC: "Hoppipolla" by Sigur Ros
0:51:47 > 0:51:51One year on from receiving their grant,
0:51:51 > 0:51:55and the community has gathered to take stock of their achievements so far.
0:51:55 > 0:51:59It will be one of the finest country parks in this country.
0:52:00 > 0:52:0412 months ago, this land was the remains of a slag heap.
0:52:04 > 0:52:08Now, thanks to an amazing community effort,
0:52:08 > 0:52:09the green shoots of recovery
0:52:09 > 0:52:14are showing what could be a brilliant resource for the village.
0:52:14 > 0:52:17The foundations of a country park have been laid,
0:52:17 > 0:52:21and a visitors' centre stands on the edge of a beautiful lake.
0:52:21 > 0:52:24When it opens, the villagers are primed to move on site
0:52:24 > 0:52:27and run the business long into Newstead's future.
0:52:34 > 0:52:38Although Mark and project leader Penny have work ahead of them,
0:52:38 > 0:52:41getting this far within a year is a huge achievement.
0:52:42 > 0:52:46When you look at this now, are you proud of what's been achieved?
0:52:46 > 0:52:51It's quite emotional to think about taking on a project of this scale,
0:52:51 > 0:52:53and actually thinking, what we have achieved,
0:52:53 > 0:52:56we've really got to take a lot from that.
0:52:56 > 0:53:00Days like this, when you're looking at the building and there's all these people here,
0:53:00 > 0:53:03just for the project, I think it's amazing.
0:53:03 > 0:53:08Jules and Ant have now come to the end of their year working with Newstead village.
0:53:08 > 0:53:12You're not quite as far forward as you'd probably hoped. How does that feel?
0:53:12 > 0:53:16It's disappointing not to get a completely finished country park
0:53:16 > 0:53:19that we can open right here and now. But I have to say,
0:53:19 > 0:53:22I am phenomenally proud of what we've achieved.
0:53:22 > 0:53:25This whole project, it's about transforming lives.
0:53:25 > 0:53:30To be honest, we wouldn't have uprooted the whole family if it wasn't really a community in need.
0:53:30 > 0:53:32Is that it for you, are you off now?
0:53:32 > 0:53:37Well, our contract is strictly up in about a week's time,
0:53:37 > 0:53:42but we've committed to stay until at least the next festival, which is in September.
0:53:42 > 0:53:45There's still quite a bit of work for me to do on the build,
0:53:45 > 0:53:47so we'll be here for a few more months.
0:53:47 > 0:53:52It's just too big of a project and it's grabbed us too much by the heart, really, to walk away from.
0:53:56 > 0:54:01It's easy to see the park is now a valuable space for the people of Newstead.
0:54:07 > 0:54:11How will it change life in Newstead for you?
0:54:11 > 0:54:14It's so inspirational to see. There was nothing here a year ago,
0:54:14 > 0:54:17and the kids have seen the volunteers doing this work,
0:54:17 > 0:54:19coming and picking apples out of hedgerows
0:54:19 > 0:54:22and all the other opportunities that there are.
0:54:22 > 0:54:24Money can't usually buy that kind of thing.
0:54:24 > 0:54:26I have to say, if this was on my doorstep,
0:54:26 > 0:54:29all the activities I can see that are starting,
0:54:29 > 0:54:31I'm thinking I'd probably be here most weekends.
0:54:31 > 0:54:34- Yay!- She's gorgeous. Yay!
0:54:34 > 0:54:36There's going to be so much more to do, and it's so appealing.
0:54:36 > 0:54:39I'm just hoping it brings lots of people in
0:54:39 > 0:54:41and lots of positive things in for the village.
0:54:41 > 0:54:44If we can do it, then other communities can as well.
0:54:44 > 0:54:46- We'll be up here quite a lot. - Every day.
0:54:48 > 0:54:52Projects like this are born out of determination and dreams.
0:54:52 > 0:54:54Over the last year, have you learned anything?
0:54:54 > 0:54:59Yeah, I shouldn't take so much on! I've learned an enormous amount.
0:54:59 > 0:55:02We're learning every week. To me, the proof is when people turn up
0:55:02 > 0:55:08to offer their free time as volunteer work, it's flabbergasting.
0:55:08 > 0:55:11And with a bit of help, we'll be there shortly.
0:55:11 > 0:55:15I look at this now and think, this was one of the mining scars.
0:55:15 > 0:55:19This is it, we're in it, in the middle of the scar here.
0:55:19 > 0:55:20Do you think it is a scar still?
0:55:20 > 0:55:23No, not at all. I don't think people do locally.
0:55:23 > 0:55:27I think it's an absolutely beautiful place, and becoming more beautiful.
0:55:27 > 0:55:32We then have a responsibility to manage that for future generations.
0:55:34 > 0:55:38One big achievement so far is the number of locals who have been involved.
0:55:38 > 0:55:44Today, these young people will all receive Open College certificates
0:55:44 > 0:55:48for their work in fencing, building and much more. It's a big day for Chris.
0:55:50 > 0:55:53Do you think you're any way different to a year ago?
0:55:53 > 0:55:54Do you feel different?
0:55:54 > 0:55:56I feel better in myself.
0:55:56 > 0:56:00If it wasn't for this country park, I wouldn't be where I am now.
0:56:00 > 0:56:03When people come and visit it and fish and everything
0:56:03 > 0:56:06and they're talking about it, I can say, "I helped build that."
0:56:06 > 0:56:09- Are you proud of that? - Yeah, I am.- You should be.
0:56:09 > 0:56:11Good. I'm glad you're proud of it.
0:56:13 > 0:56:17The moment has come, official recognition for a year of hard work.
0:56:17 > 0:56:20Mick is keen to express his thanks.
0:56:20 > 0:56:24It's amazing that people have stuck with this, and how many have got involved.
0:56:24 > 0:56:28Part of what we're here to do now is just to recognise some of those people
0:56:28 > 0:56:31who've made a big contribution to this project.
0:56:31 > 0:56:32I'd like to invite up two people
0:56:32 > 0:56:38who've been an integral part of this project, both from the CAST Project.
0:56:38 > 0:56:41That's Ash Day and Chris Bateman. APPLAUSE AND CHEERING
0:56:41 > 0:56:43- Thank you.- Thank you.- Nice one.
0:56:44 > 0:56:46Thank you.
0:56:46 > 0:56:49It's good to get something back from what we've done,
0:56:49 > 0:56:52to show that we've done something.
0:56:52 > 0:56:56A certificate just to say that we've volunteered and we've helped.
0:56:56 > 0:56:57It's a really good feeling.
0:56:57 > 0:57:00It has been a hell of a lot of work, and it's been hard work as well,
0:57:00 > 0:57:03but it's all worth it, seeing it all come together.
0:57:04 > 0:57:08In all, 40 young people have been awarded qualifications.
0:57:11 > 0:57:13Steve Boyd. Cheers, Steve.
0:57:18 > 0:57:22When you look at the pride on these guys' faces,
0:57:22 > 0:57:25suddenly the whole project takes on a totally new meaning.
0:57:25 > 0:57:28This is about changing lives, and it's qualifications
0:57:28 > 0:57:31that's going to change these people's lives for the future.
0:57:33 > 0:57:36If you have been inspired to create a community project in your area
0:57:36 > 0:57:38and want to find out about the grants available
0:57:38 > 0:57:44and how to apply, go to -
0:57:44 > 0:57:46and get the ball rolling.
0:57:48 > 0:57:52A group of volunteers think food can save their village.
0:57:52 > 0:57:55- I think it's absolutely yummy. - Oh, good! Thank you.- Well done!
0:57:57 > 0:57:58Welcome to the Tideswell School Of Food.
0:57:58 > 0:58:02But will it leave a sour taste in the mouths of the community?
0:58:02 > 0:58:06I hope it works, but as long as it don't take any business off us.
0:58:06 > 0:58:09It seems to me that you're slightly fearful of regeneration.
0:58:09 > 0:58:11I think he's got to bring a lot of people in.
0:58:11 > 0:58:14And have they bitten off more than they can chew?
0:58:14 > 0:58:15None of us have run a cookery school,
0:58:15 > 0:58:17none of us have planned a cookery school.
0:58:17 > 0:58:20We do want to make this look as though we know what we're doing.
0:58:20 > 0:58:23At the moment you've got nobody booked on any courses,
0:58:23 > 0:58:26and that's not good, is it?
0:58:43 > 0:58:46Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:58:46 > 0:58:49E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk