Local people invited to apply for trip to Eden Project in Cornwall

Thanks to people who play the National Lottery, local people will have accommodation and transport along with the weekend community camp costs all paid for.

Applications are being considered now by Eden Project Communities Northern Ireland Network developer Niamh Scullion for these opportunities which are to be held at the award winning Eden Project in Cornwall during September and November 2019.

Those attending can look forward to three days of inspirational talks, workshops, engagement activities and story sharing with around 60 other community activists and organisers. These can have a life-changing impact on many.

Hugh Hegarty from Derry visited the community camp in November 2018 and subsequently set up MENd, a mental health initiative for men in Derry. Hugh said: “I must say that all I had been previously told about how good the camp was still didn’t properly prepare me for what I experienced. I loved every second of it, from making new friends from all areas of the UK to learning do much about other aspects of community projects as well as the training we received. “Undoubtedly one of the best weekends I ever had.”

Speaking about the programme Northern Ireland manager Grainne McCloskey said: “Eden Project Communities camps provide opportunities to link in with a network of more than 1000 other people across the UK to share ideas, inspiration, and experience, and to re-energize your community project and yourself.

“Participation in The Big Lunch annual day for neighbours has already afforded me some knowledge of the passion there is for community here and the richness of the landscape and community, so I believe people have as much to share with others as they have to gain from participating in this opportunity in Cornwall and hopefully bringing home ideas to try out locally.

“When we play the National Lottery we are hoping to win big and change our own lives, it’s good to know that proceeds are being put back into our communities and with Eden Project Communities we hope to cross pollinate so that people bring each others ideas and inspiration home to try locally. I’m looking forward to meeting this year’s candidates and see what they go on to achieve.”

If you know someone who might be interested – the application is simple and should take no more than 15 minutes to complete.

Contact [email protected] or visit www.edenprojectcommunities.com/community-campsEden Project Communities aim is to improve the happiness and wellbeing of people across the UK by helping to build more resilient and better-connected communities.