YOUNG people from Weymouth travelled to Poland to lay the foundations for a ‘youth exchange’.

Thirteen teenagers from Portland and Wyke Regis formed a party of British students who met up with young people from Estonia and Poland at an army cadet camp in the Polish town of Koscierzyna.

Youth worker Steve Rose said the party had shown their commitment to the principles of the exchange programme.

He said: “The participants developed strong relationships with the young people from Estonia and Poland, and would like to have a similar opportunity next year.”

Weymouth College music student, Jo Brooks, 17, from Portland, said she had taken part in a range of new activities.

“We tried archery, climbing, and sailing. I learned the Polish word for thank you.

“I’ll be keeping in touch with some of the people I met,” said Jo.

Lauren Almand, 17, a sixth-form pupil at Dorchester’s Thomas Hardye School, said spending time with people from different cultures had been the most rewarding part of the visit.

“Language wasn’t a barrier – they spoke excellent English – and we had plenty in common. We had similar tastes in music, although they were better dancers,” she joked.

Her sister, Jade, 15, a pupil at the Royal Manor Arts College, said she had enjoyed environmental studies carried out by the groups of young people, including testing soil and water for levels of acidity and pollution.

Casey Butler, 17, an A-level student at Weymouth College, urged other young people in the town to take advantage of cultural exchanges. She said: “Go for it. It was an amazing experience, one of the best things I have done in my life.”

A trip to the Polish city of Gdansk, and local attraction, the ‘upside down house park’ were among the highlights of the trip, which also saw students visit the Koscierzyna railway museum.

Funding for the exchange came from the European Union’s Youth in Action 1.1 programme, with support from the British Council.