Mournes body celebrates 20 years of caring for prized area

Mournes body celebrates 20 years of caring for prized area

18 October 2017

THE Mourne Heritage Trust held its annual meeting last week in what is the organisation’s 20th anniversary year.

Since its formation, the Trust has helped secure over £20m to enhance and manage the Mourne Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and last week’s annual meeting held at Newcastle Community Cinema celebrated two decades of its work.

The Trust was established in 1997 to meet an identified need for a community based AONB management structure with the founding partners the former Environment and Heritage Service, Tourist Board and Down, Newry and Mourne and Banbridge councils.

The centrepiece of the annual meeting was the display of a collection photographs and films spanning the Trust’s 20 years in business which showcased the breadth of the Trust’s work.

Newry, Mourne and Down Council vice-chairman, Willie Clarke, who is a member of the Trust’s management board and who previously worked in the high Mournes, opened the meeting.

He highlighted the strong relationship between the Trust and the local authority, most recently evidenced in the progress made with provision and management of outdoor recreation opportunities in Mourne forests. 

Trust chairman, Desmond Patterson, is one of five board members to have been with the organisation through its two decades and he reflected on the many and varied achievements, thanking partners, volunteers and funders for their support across that period. 

Helen Anderson, Director of the Natural Environment Division with the Environment Agency, expressed her thanks to the Trust, noting her affinity for the Mourne area.

She described the mountains as delivering a “big granite hug” to visitors as they approach the area, highlighting the importance of the Trust’s work in “caring for one of our most prized landscapes.”

The speaker highlighted the organisation’s ability to involve people in delivering high quality environmental outcomes, building partnerships, securing funding from a range of sources and being resilient and adaptive to environmental, funding and other challenges.  

Further business included an audit report presented by Mrs Una Cunningham of Purdy Quinn Ltd, while the Trustees to the charity’s board were elected, including one new member, Mr Geoff Simmons. 

Professor Simmons, a Newcastle resident, is Director of Research at Queen’s Management School in Belfast, with a particular interest in digital technologies and experience in sectors including landscape management and agri-food. 

A number of contributions were made from the floor including Mr Vincent McAlinden of Killowen Outdoor Education Centre who praised the contribution of the Trust, while highlighting the concern of many with the recent decision to close outdoor education centres in the Mourne area.

Former South Down MP, Margaret Ritchie, recognised the contribution of the Trust to supporting important local sectors including tourism and farm diversification in the cherished landscape of the Mournes, while Mark Smith of the Fire and Rescue Service noted the benefit to his organisation and to public safety of drawing on the expertise of Trust in wildfire control. 

Alongside the examples of many environmental and cultural heritage projects, the meeting noted the Trust had drawn over £20m of investment into management and enhancement of the Mourne AONB in its 20 years, levering an additional £2.50 for every one provided by its core funders.

It was also highlighted that over the past two decades, the Trust had helped create over 50 jobs, securing invaluable voluntary contribution from people to serve as board members. 

The Mourne Heritage Trust’s annual report is available on line www.caringformourne.com.