UNA 21 - Meidrim - 11-25.08.2001
number of volunteers: 10 including 1 leader
project language: English
about the project: Carmarthenshire County Council is hosting this project. The Council is a local government organisation responsible for providing services and facilities for people in the region of Carmarthen. One of their responsibilities is to provide access to the countryside for leisure, and also to maintain the environment in public places. This involves creating and improving public footpaths and counry parks so that as many people as possible can enjoy the countrysice without damaging environment.
International volunteers have been working in Carmarthenshire for 9 years with great success. Volunteers are there to allow certain work to be completed; they sometimes work together with paid staff but never replace piid staff. Often on these projects, the international volunteers work with other groups of volunteers. These include New Deal trainees: local people aged 18-24 who have been unemployed for at least 6 months trainees will live together with the group and join in the social programme and work which means that they also benefit from the cultural exchange.
Together with the New Deal and UNA Exchange group there will be a group of BTCV volunteers from UK and overseas who are on a working holiday with this conservation charity. All the groups will share the accomodation, will work and socialise together.
work: The County Council are responsible for maintaining public areas of countryside and footpaths, and encouraging visitors to their country parks. They have a huge programme of work in the area which includes tasks such as clearing vegetation, building new footpaths, putting in seats and picnic areas and small landscaping work. The group worked on a variety of task at different sites.
Una Exchange volunteers were living and working alongside another group of mainly British volunteers who were members of the BTCV: a UK practical conservation charity. There was also a small group of local young people aged 18-25 who are on the New Deal Training scheme.
The work was physical, outdoors. There was full days of work (09.00-17.00). Volunteers were prepared to work hard.
The work on the project was involved various practical environmental task as to improve country parks and footpaths. We used hand tools like saws, shovels, picks, wheelbarrows and a variety of materials.
The particular tasks were:
Footpath work: leveling the ground, laying wooden edging, digging, shovelling and spreading chipping on the path surface.
Waymarking: the route of a path has to be walked and mapped, and information recorded about it, also signposts had to be installed which means digging deep holes.
Countryside furniture: steps and seats or picnic areas were created in many places to make visits safer and more comfortable. The work was digging, leveling ground, laying turf, painting the wooden furniture or actually putting it together with hammers and nails.
accomodation:
The group was staying in
Meidrim Welfare Hall which wass simple accomodation but had all the necessary facilities provided: showers, bathrooms, kitchen, air beds. It wasn't luxuary. It was our home for 2 weeks...
the area: Carmarthenshire is one of the largest countries in Wales and it is a stong Welsh speaking area. It is largely rural with many farms and few large towns or cities. The region once had stong coal and textile industries which have now disappeared. It is really a beautiful area of hill, castles, beaches, valleys. The village where we were is quite small but it has got post office and two pubs.
free time:
We was working Monday to Friday and had a weekend off. We visited places of local interest (always in the evenings). There were minibuses which took us to see some places of local interest. For example we saw two castles (Kidwelly, Llansteffan). We were on beaches, but sea was of course too cold. In the evenings we were in pubs, cinema, local events such a traditional male voice choirs.
It was Big Weekend free music festival in Cardiff where we met another groups of volunteers.
Ewa Kwiatek on the basis of booklet from UNA Exchange
I'm waiting for your photos, stories...
My e-mail:
Karol@w.pl
My web page:
www.KarolKwiatek.w.pl
2001
Page designed by
Karol Kwiatek
Karol@w.pl
www.Workcamps.w.pl
about the project: Brecknock Wildlife Trust is a charity working to conserveand enhance wildlife habitats
and species. They care for nature reserves and also provide advice to businesses, farmers and the general public. All this helps
to offer opportunities for people to enjoy nature and wildlife. They are based in the town of Brecon in the Brecon Beacons National Park,
but work over a large area and have responsibility for many reserves in the area which was once the country of Brecknock.
