Imagine trusting your friends so much that you will allow them to lead you blindfold through a wood.

Or relying on each other to scale a climbing wall or launch a boat for the first time. Think about redecorating a youth club when you've never picked up a paintbrush before -- or looking after others when all your life you've been the one who's needed help.

Imagine some of these things and you are part of the way to understanding what it means to be a Prince's Trust Volunteer.

This month in Maldon a group of 12 young people, aged between 16 and 25, started out on an intensive 12-week course which will teach them to live, work and play together in teamwork, with co-operation, tolerance and friendship.

Team leader Jane Kennedy, who runs the scheme through Essex Youth Service, explained that the scheme's personal development programme is about developingconfidence, motivation and skills through team work in the community.

Team members are drawn from all walks of life, those in work and the unemployed, students and school leavers, graduates and those with learning disabilities.

Many are sponsored by their employers, others are referred to the scheme by their schools or the careers service, probation and social services.

Some are recruited straight off the streets, a large part of Jane's work involves visiting homeless young people.

"We try to recruit across all social backgrounds," she said. "One aim is to get people who wouldn't even speak to each other in normal circumstances coming to see one another as friends."

After a week's team building work at Maldon's Friary Centre, the volunteers then spend a week at camp on Mersea Island, working together through activities including radio orienteering, cave rescue, climbing and night exercises.

Then follows a three-week community project, this team has decided to build a wildlife garden in Maldon's green burial site, The Glades.

Every volunteer who successfully completes the course leaves with recognised qualifications -- the Trident Gold award for work experience, community effort and personal achievement, the City and Guilds Profile of Achievement and a part-NVQ in life skills including communication and working with others.

Over 70 per cent of team members go on to full-time jobs or further education. Darren, 17, hopes to become a fireman and was referred to the scheme by his careers adviser.

"I wasn't really doing much before I came here," he said. "I am enjoying this very much. I like meeting people very much and it's a chance to do that and get qualifications at the same time. It's free and very worthwhile."

Simon, 16, came to the scheme after losing all confidence in himself and others after being the victim of severe bullying at school.

Now he is working on a local anti-bullying project, using his experience to help others. "This is my chance to help others, I don't want anyone else to go through what I went through," he said. "It's also a chance for me to get on with other people of my own age."

Sharon, 24, a statistician, chose to be a Prince's Trust Volunteer to improve her life skills. She approached her employers who allowed her a three month break to complete the scheme.

"I have always wanted to do voluntary work, something you have little time for when you have a full-time job," she said."Also in my job I work very much alone so this is a chance to be with other people.

"I shall be working hard to develop my communication skills and motivation."

Jane obviously enjoys her role as team leader, forming close friendships with the volunteers. "We get quite close to each other," she said. "I suppose I act as a mentor -- I lay out the basic rules but then the team makes its own decisions about how it will go forward.

"Prince's Trust Volunteers is about helping these young people take control of the project and to go on to take control of their lives.

"The ultimate aim is that they leave the scheme having learned about themselves and learned about their local community and that they feel part of that community.

"Some of the young people we see have had a bad time, they have been rejected by school, perhaps even by their families, perhaps they can't get work, they are demoralised.

"The fact that they turn up here each day is brilliant, it shows that they want to do something with their lives."

If you want to join the Prince's Trust Volunteers or have a community project you feel they could help with then call Ros Stafford on 01245 223335.

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.