After much preparation and anticipation the 2011 event for Better Water Better Life (BWBL) took place over the period of a week at the beginning of August. The delegates were made up of groups from Turkey, Italy, Malta, Russia and Keswick School. They all arrived safely on time, without mishap.
The inevitable heavy rainfall during part of the week did not dampen the enthusiasm of all the delegates. As previously reported, Newcastle University ran the educational part of the programme. This included surveying and guaging river flows, soil moisture experiments and the role of hydroelectric power. A visit to the Eden River Trust in East Cumbria included invertebrate sampling, river habitat mapping and demonstrations of test catchments.
The delegates worked with the National Trust on various flood defense projects in the local area. Glaramara demonstrated the leisure side of water by taking delegates canoeing and ghyll scrambling. The cultural side of the programme involved team challenge events and presentations by delegates from each of the countries about their regions and the water issues which affect them.
In addition, there was a wine appreciation event organised by Martin Ward of Wine Educators International. The tutored tasting session was designed specifically to identify the many links between wine & water. The delegates tasted four diverse European wines to understand tasting technique and their palates and came up with a number of very good connections including the realities of water use in vineyards and wineries,
The event was organised by the South Yorkshire based charity, Go Away and Learn (GOAL). It was jointly funded by the youth in action programme and various local private sponsors including Caterite Limited, Eden Recycling Limited, Shortridge Laundries, Stargazer Disco and John Hoban Travel, to whom we are very grateful.
Special thanks to GOAL, Newcastle University and the National Trust for their organisation skills and assistance. Thanks must also go to the delegates and their organisers for making the event such a success. We all look forward to the continuation of BWBL in 2012 and beyond. The website can be found at www.bwbl.co.uk. Any suggestions and comments can be passed on through the Forum which is linked to the website
Some kind words from delegates:
‘I hope to see everyone in the future! Moreover, thanks for this week, the best week of my life!!!!’ Amedeo Mascitti (Italy)
‘Amazing. made so many friends. a bit sad to see them go .. but i am so tired from the week’. Alex Clark (UK)
‘Best time ever…Awesome place and more important awesome people!!! Wish I was still there...’ Kyle Mifsud (Malta)
‘It’s been absolutely unique‘ Michael Gatt (Malta)
‘Best week of my life’ Francine Farrugia (Italy)
‘The intercultural element made it for me’ – (Russia)
‘I will hold the memory of this project always in my heart’ – (Turkey)
