View, January 2012


Page 9 A spirited performance


Above: Sir Stuart Etherington (left) with Spirit of Enniskillen Trust workers Janet McCusker, Camilla Jackson, Michael Arlow and actor Jonathan Pryce at the Guardian Charity Awards 2011, and (below), teenagers enjoying a SOAT-organised event in Sweden last summer


T


tionalist backgrounds together. Its work was recently honoured after it was se- lected as one of the top five charities in the UK at the Guardian Charity Awards 2011 in London. Judges described the trust as “inspiring”, with


he Spirit of Enniskillen Trust is one of those charities that quietly goes about its business of bringing teenagers from unionist and na-


Staff worker Janet McCusker described winning the Guardian award as a tremendous achievement. “To have recognition for something we are really proud of is brilliant.” Despite the success, Mr Arlow stressed that


one saying it was the charity that had most im- pressed them. The trust was founded in the aftermath of the IRA bombing of the centotaph in Enniskillen on Re- membrance Sunday, November 8, 1987, in which 11 people were killed.


of Gordon Wilson, who lost his daughter Marie (aged 20) in the explosion. Mr Wilson's reaction to the murder of his daughter in an interview that he gave to the BBC only hours after her death was one of the most poignant moments of the Trou- bles. Mr Wilson said that he forgave the bombers and that he would pray for them. He also begged that no-one took revenge for Marie's death and pleaded with loyalists not to do so. Mr Wilson said: “I bear no ill will. I bear no


The charity built itself on the words and deeds


even its future is not assured in the current uncer- tain economic times. ‘It is going to be a struggle to continue to get funding into the future," he said. "We are in an extremely challenging environment and we do need help to keep going.’ At present the charity has three strands, all de-


Explore project – an exchange trip to a country where young people share a similar background in conflict or sectarianism including northern and southern Cyprus, the Basque region of Spain and Berlin. The Together project places 100 volunteers in


grudge. Dirty sort of talk is not going to bring her back to life. She was a great wee lassie. She loved her profession. She was a pet. She’s dead. She’s in heaven and we shall meet again. I will pray for these men tonight and every night.”


COMPETITION FOR VIEW READERS


For a chance to win an overnight stay and bed and breakfast for two people at the Mourne Lodge, Co Down, answer the three following questions. Send your answers to view.editorial@gmail.com. Closing date for entries is February 20.0


When was the Mourne Wall built? What was the purpose?


What is the length of the Mourne Wall?


Michael Arlow, director of the trust, said that it was delighted to receive the award. “A lot of the praise for it has to go one of our volunteers, Camilla Jackson, who done a lot of the prepartion work on our nomination forms.”


– where young people debate issues associated with growing up and living in Northern Ireland.


voted to building a young person's confidence and leadership skills. More than 1,000 teenagers have been through its


Northern Ireland schools, where only three per cent have pupils from across the religious divide. Volunteers also manage the Future Voices project


Spirt of Enniskillen Trust, The Gordon Wilson Centre, 97 Malone Avenue, Belfast BT9 6EQ. info@soetrust.org


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