Holywell Trust

Collaboration - How it works

Working in partnership with Oakleaf rural Community Network and the North West Community Network we have been engaged in a process of exploring the opportunities which the Review of Public Administration offers to the community and voluntary sector. This process began with the conference “Collaboration - how it works...” held in the Drummond Hotel Ballykelly on 4 December 2006 which was opened by the President of Ireland, Mary McAlese.

This exploration will continue through seminars, workshops and conferences to be held during the incoming year.

Our next joint venture is scheduled for the 10th May in the Calgach Centre.

Difficulties encouraging cultural change from individual empires to working collaboratively cannot be overstated. This process is a labyrinth of twists and turn

CRC Evaluation 2008

Environmental Projects

As well as dealing with office management issues Gemma is responsible for all environmental projects within the Trust. Having completed a year long Clean Up Campaign funded by Awards for All involving 5 core volunteers and working with 30 different community groups, and schools lifting over 1,000 bags of litter and other general rubbish from our neighbourhoods Gemma has gone on to support seven of these groups initiate other environmental projects.

She is putting Food Security on the agenda for local communities and has spent over 60hrs from February 2008 to June 2008 piloting a ‘Food for Free’ kitchen gardening project with four children’s and young person’s projects in partnership with BHCP in the Ballymagroarty and Hazelbank areas of Derry/ Londonderry. With food prices currently rising very sharply, and with predictions of further increases that will potentially cause food poverty for those on low incomes, including families with children, the Trust hopes to formalise and expand this project in order to tackle this looming food crisis threat.

Holywell Trust is a full member of Northern Ireland Environmental Link

Turnaround Project

The Turnaround Project is a new project which we believe offers exciting possibilities in the area of mental wellbeing. It will present a number of educational/holistic programmes. Its aim is to empower those who participate by teaching them a variety of transformative approaches to stress, one of which, in particular, is easily accessible and, once learned, can have a powerful and life- affirming impact. There is great belief in the efficacy of this approach among the Holywell staff and its associates and numerous applications for funding have been or are about to be submitted, the biggest of these to the Big Lottery Fund to fund a three year project, costing just over £400,000.

This will empower more than two hundred people who are presently experiencing non-acute mental illness (such as anxiety, mild depression) to raise self-esteem, uncover and transform core negative beliefs, deal creatively with criticism and conflict and improve relationships with others.

Already our facilitators have been piloting the Turnaround Project through a number of programmes, two of which have been funded by WHSSB and presented to those bereaved by suicide and for those who care for people bereaved in this way. The feedback from these courses has been consistently positive and we look forward to future opportunities to bring this project to its full fruition.

Holywell makes a difference to peoples lives through providing and encouraging a range of projects and programmes such as the Diamond war Memorial project, Towards Understanding and Healing and the Day of Reflection amongst other. They provide leadership and vision...

CRC Evaluation 2008

Training and Support

We have worked with a range of projects during the past year both at a formal and informal level. Sometimes this has taken the form of contracted training provision for other organisations e.g. North West Centre for Learning and Development, Abhaile Aris. The support offered has at times been for individuals or for organisations who want to bring visitors/students to the city.

Very often, support has been less formal and has been given to groups on an ongoing basis of friendship and mutual respect e.g. Bogside Artists, Football in the Community, Trocaire, Prehen Historical and Environmental Society. More recently, we have been involved in a mentoring approach with workers on the Building Ethnic Peace project of the Donegal Travellers Project. We provide training and support in Conflict Resolution, Personal Development, Mediation and Good Relations. Holywell Trust is currently embracing the Government's new CSI (Cohesion Sharing & Integration) strategy launched at the end of May 2008.

CPI (Community Planning Initiative)

Operating on one day per week from Holywell's offices John Thompson a former community worker now full time barrister specialising in Planning Law runs an Planning Advice and community awareness of planning issues to community and resident's groups.

The Objectives of CPI are to :

• respond effectively to planning and development proposals affecting an area or community;
• represent their views on major planning and strategic initiatives cogently and persuasively;
• develop viable and sustainable plans for area improvements, community facilities and amenities.
• CPI is self financing through fees, subscriptions fundraising, grants, and donations'

Contact via Holywell Trust.