The Rural Rookies

21-year-old Bobby is a solid, street-smart working class guy, dreaming of bigger things than his mundane job as a shoe sales assistant. Bobby lives in Peckham, London with his girlfriend of two years.

He has become disillusioned with his neighbourhood, a troubled area where it is easy to fall in with the wrong crowd. Frequently stopped by police for his urban image (gold teeth, hoodie and cap) Bobby is tired of being victimised and dreams of a better life outside the big smoke.

The Rural Scholarship is just the opportunity Bobby is looking for to give him the chance for a better future, but will the time away from his girlfriend in such alien environs prove too much for the outspoken Londoner?

Fiercely independent Chanice, 20, has grown up in Hackney, London in the care of her Nan. Having been abandoned by her dad and her mother, Chanice feels she has missed out on any real childhood.

After successfully breezing through school, she has had a succession of uninspiring jobs and is looking for something to fulfil her vast potential. Chanice finds her neighbourhood oppressive and is keen to move away to more positive surroundings and seize this once in a lifetime opportunity.

Can her gritty streetwise determination survive the challenges of life on the farm?

Chantelle is a feisty girl desperately trying to make good. After a troubled time at school Chantelle left without any qualifications. She is currently unemployed and spends most of her time at home in Edmonton, North London.

At 17 she feels she is at a pivotal point in her life. Having been in and out of trouble as a young teenager she has now embraced God but she feels she needs something more.

Chantelle is looking for an opportunity that will take her out of Edmonton and has been looking for a strong black mentor just like Wilfred to give her the push she feels she needs. She has no rural experience but looks forward to rising to the challenge away from the negative trappings of her area.

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Originally from Moss Side, Syrus now lives with his mother and younger sister in Burnbridge, Manchester. No stranger to the countryside, 19-year-old Syrus is a keen falconer and member of the Cheshire Falconry Society.

This modern-day Billy from 'Kes' is passionate about the future the rural scholarship might give him. Although currently doing a plumbing apprenticeship Syrus has set his sights on winning the job to escape a future he fears as an inner-city plumber.

Focused and confident, on paper Syrus looks the most suitable candidate for the project, but this notorious loner will have to test his teamwork skills if he is to make a success of this unique opportunity.

Deanne lives with her mother in Handsworth in the Midlands. Outspoken and independent, 18-year-old Deanne is tired of the limited opportunities she feels are offered to black students, such as nursing or social work.

She is very articulate about what she feels are the problems facing the black community, including a severe shortage of role models in any professions outside of music or sport.

At 18 Deanne is driven and strong-minded but can the rural life and the opportunities it offers really provide the future she longs for?

Gifty is a salt of the earth hard-working girl. She grew up with three older brothers and an older sister in South London where she lives with her mum. She was excluded from school leaving with few qualifications and was working in a white suburban English pub.

As soon as she heard about the scholarship Gifty bravely quit her job as the first step towards turning her life around. At 17 years old, Gifty is acutely aware that seizing opportunities is the only way to broaden what she perceives to be her very limited prospects.

Having been inspired by Wilfred's story, she is determined to capitalise on the rural scholarship, which she sees as a very real and tangible opportunity.

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Michelle is a beautiful Scouser from a large protective family and currently lives in Toxteth, Liverpool. She works part-time in a bar with her sister but is frustrated by her present situation, which she feels offers her no real future.

She sights her greatest achievement to date to be managing not to fall pregnant. Her chief motivation to partake in the rural scholarship is the chance of a brighter future, to prove that she is capable of so much more than what is expected of her.

20-year-old Michelle is fired up about facing the challenges of life on the farm. The whole rural experience holds huge appeal for a reflective Michelle who feels that the time is right to make some fundamental changes in her life. But out of the comfort zone that is her family home, will she have the emotional stamina to last the course?

Wayne, 17, had the toughest upbringing of all our scholarship students. He has been brought up in foster care and local authority homes since the age of four, without any guidance or security. He has minimal contact with his family and a chequered relationship with Bristol where he is from.

Currently unemployed but determined and enthusiastic, Wayne cannot wait to grab the opportunity of the Rural Scholarship with both hands.

His irrepressible good humour and streetwise charm equip him well for life on the street, but will our lovable rogue still be smiling after the demands of 4am starts and the trials of life on the farm?

Smooth-talking Jason, 21, from Leicester is a dedicated animal lover. After a difficult time at school he has had a string of uninspiring jobs, is currently out of work and can't stick at anything.

In a step towards fulfilling his aspirations to work with animals he took an animal care course, and eventually wants to own kennels and breed dogs.

Growing up in the inner city has left Jason feeling stuck and in need of a change. He feels he has been held back by negative perceptions of young black men and longs to get out of the city into the countryside where he feels his heart truly resides. But can Jason last the course?

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