York teens help give the Fulford Arms pub an upgrade

The Fulford Arms has been closed – for music events at least – for the last two weeks, while it has been given a makeover by local teenagers learning the skills of the building trade.

But it re-opens its doors to music-lovers this evening for a set by Nottingham band Blind Eye, supported by Sex Germs and Mother Nature.

Expects lots of noise – just not quite the same kind of noise as that which has filled the pub for the last few days.

Construction workers employed by community interest company Volunteer It Yourself (VIY) have been working with teenagers from local schools to build an access ramp up into the pub through the back door, creating proper disabled access.

A teenager learns how to saw properly while working on the Fulford Arms' new access ramp (Image: VIY)

They have also built a sound booth inside the pub.

It’s the first of five York pubs and community venues that will be getting a makeover under a project funded by £60,000 of Government ‘Shared Prosperity’ funding channelled through City of York Council. Barclaycard also provided some funding.

Details of which other pubs will also get a makeover haven’t yet been revealed – though The Press understands that The Vaults could be among them.

The project is both about improving the quality of York’s community venues – and about providing vital skills for York teenagers who wish to get into the building trade, said Pete Kilbane, the deputy leader of City of York Council.

Marley Hind at work on the Fulford Arms' new access ramp (Image: Stephen Lewis)

“We’re very pleased to be working with Volunteer It Yourself and Barclaycard, both to improve our city’s much-loved entertainment venues like the Fulford Arms, and to enable the next generation of tradespeople to develop skills that will help them build rewarding careers,” he said.

Among the local teenagers working on the project at the Fulford Arms were 14-year-olds Ollie Minskip, from Dringhouses, and Rocco Miller, Marley Hind and Owen Senior, all from Foxwood.

All hope to go into ‘hands-on’ trades such as bricklaying, roofing or joinery one day.

A job well done: the teenagers and their mentors from VIY with the new access ramp they have built at the Fulford Arms in York (Image: VIY)

Rocco admitted that one thing he learned from his time working in the pub was how to saw wood properly. “It’s not as easy as it looks!” he admitted.

He and his mate Marley have been inspired by their time on the project to build a new garden shed for Marley’s nan.

They’ve already got the wood in, and plan to start work on the shed this weekend.

Marley said his nan was ‘very happy about it’.

“There will be less grass for her to cut in the summer!” he said.

Fulford Arms landlord Chris Tuke behind the bar of his pub (Image: Stephen Lewis)

Pub landlord Chris Tuke said he was delighted with the new ramp.

“It makes the venue so much more accessible!” he said.