We did lots of walking in the early years, learned to read maps and plan routes, and saw beautiful countryside. We have made lifelong friends and our weekly meetings continue to be an important part of our lives.
In the early 90's we remember raising funds for the ICP minibus: we held a Christmas Fair. One member spent weeks knitting mittens for sale, another baked cakes for two days, we collected clothes to sell, gave bottles for the bottle raffle, provided tea and refreshments, and had other stalls - and thoroughly enjoyed giving our time and energy to it.
Over the years we have sold hundreds and hundreds of books of National Trust Raffle Tickets at outdoor events, concerts and properties including Gibside, Wallington and Cragside, and of course the Holy Jesus Hospital. We didn't get home till late after coming back to Newcastle in the mini-bus after evening performances, but were happy to have helped the Trust.
We also sold raffle tickets at other events where the ICP wanted a presence, such as at the Green Festival, Plant Fairs and even on the Turk's Head, a ship which came into port here and on which we sailed up the River Tyne. Members of the group still treasure photos of themselves with the Captain!
The Plant Fairs were an ICP undertaking to raise much needed funds for the ICPs work: the staff set us on labelling and pricing plants, carting them to venues for us to sell. Inevitably we shared our knowledge of gardening and plants and had interesting conversations both among ourselves and the public.
We also volunteered to work at Wallington for family fun days and other open days where hundreds of cups of tea and other refreshments were required. Wallington also benefitted from our painting and cleaning skills when we helped refurbish the cottages: one member can remember having the task of cleaning the toilets!
We cleaned and dusted Gibside Chapel, following instructions of how to do it right, and Prince Charles met us all - and we remember him asking us 'if we were the backing group?' We still treasure photos of that day.
At Cherryburn, we laboured in the garden to sort out trees that had fallen down in a gale and needed carting to the bonfire for burning. We did all the tasks with good humour and enjoyed working together for the benefit of the Trust properties.
Different members of the 3 Mile Group spent days at Gibside, Cragside and Wallington helping organise and run the Easter Egg Hunts, the Easter Bonnet competitions, the MouseHouse competition, etc - engaging with families and making the visitor experience more memorable.
Another memory is of the Challenge Days, another way of fundraising for the ICP at Gibside and Wallington. Members of the group were in charge of the different activities - archery, blindfold canoeing, to name but two - to ensure that the teams all 'played fair'. The best bit was the BBQ at the end of the day and chatting to all the competitors about the ICP and the National Trust. We would come back in the mini-bus, tired but happy.
When the lake at Wallington overflowed into the Walled Garden, we came in the mini-bus and gave gladly of our time: weeding, washing plantpots, deadheading flowers, wheeling wheelbarrows to the compost heaps. All good memories.
We remember helping advertise the National Trust Inner City Project by agreeing to abseil off the Causey Arch - the oldest surviving single arch railway bridge in the world - with a large display board which was very difficult for one person to hold 30 metres above a river, and gave much hilarity to all.
Through the ICP's support, we also tried completely new activities, such as cycling, Canadian canoeing, archery and even horse-riding. We climbed Simonside in the snow which felt like quite an achievement!
We had a great laugh remembering doing a play, which we wrote ourselves, in the Civic Centre for National Trust members. It included, as we recall, a scene set at Cragside involving Octavia Hill, the big fireplace and some really out-of-tune singing, which still makes us chuckle!
Besides all these activities to help the National Trust, the staff at the ICP enabled us to go away for residentials at a cost that we could afford, through their applications for funding from local charities to cover the real costs of the weekends away.
We have great memories of well-organised and action packed weekends and weeks at St.John-in-the-Vale, Kielder, St. Andrews Youth Centre in Coniston, Masham and Blubberhouses in Yorkshire, and even a visit to Northern Ireland to Newcastle. As well as lots of walking in the hills and mountains, we did art, drama, and even had a fancy dress competition. Memories of lovely scenery, a ride on the Gondola on Lake Coniston, a visit to the old slate minem and Campbell's (of Bluebird fame) grave are but a few of all the recollections we treasure and still talk about when we meet together at the Holy Jesus.
In the Centenary Year as part of the celebrations we found ourselves helping at Gibside, and we still have a photo of our group with the TV presenter's boom in the picture.
We are well aware that, all these things that we've had a chance to experience, we wouldn't have been able to without the ICP. Also, by going to places together as a group we have all these wonderful shared memories and a great set of friends.
We feel fortunate that the ICP has continued to let us use the Holy Jesus Hospital on a weekly basis, and also has made the mini-bus available for outings in the summer to places like Seahouses, Holy Island, The Secret Garden as well as our favourite National Trust properties: without the mini-bus we cannot get there.
Not all of us had even heard of the National Trust before we got involved through walking and volunteering at the ICP, but now several of us have got family members who have a car and have become members of the National Trust. So in the long-term the ICP has 'increased membership' and contributed positively to the 'visitor experience'.
And no-one can take our memories away...
We also volunteered to work at Wallington for family fun days and other open days where hundreds of cups of tea and other refreshments were required. Wallington also benefitted from our painting and cleaning skills when we helped refurbish the cottages: one member can remember having the task of cleaning the toilets!
We cleaned and dusted Gibside Chapel, following instructions of how to do it right, and Prince Charles met us all - and we remember him asking us 'if we were the backing group?' We still treasure photos of that day.
At Cherryburn, we laboured in the garden to sort out trees that had fallen down in a gale and needed carting to the bonfire for burning. We did all the tasks with good humour and enjoyed working together for the benefit of the Trust properties.
Different members of the 3 Mile Group spent days at Gibside, Cragside and Wallington helping organise and run the Easter Egg Hunts, the Easter Bonnet competitions, the MouseHouse competition, etc - engaging with families and making the visitor experience more memorable.
Another memory is of the Challenge Days, another way of fundraising for the ICP at Gibside and Wallington. Members of the group were in charge of the different activities - archery, blindfold canoeing, to name but two - to ensure that the teams all 'played fair'. The best bit was the BBQ at the end of the day and chatting to all the competitors about the ICP and the National Trust. We would come back in the mini-bus, tired but happy.
When the lake at Wallington overflowed into the Walled Garden, we came in the mini-bus and gave gladly of our time: weeding, washing plantpots, deadheading flowers, wheeling wheelbarrows to the compost heaps. All good memories.
We remember helping advertise the National Trust Inner City Project by agreeing to abseil off the Causey Arch - the oldest surviving single arch railway bridge in the world - with a large display board which was very difficult for one person to hold 30 metres above a river, and gave much hilarity to all.
Through the ICP's support, we also tried completely new activities, such as cycling, Canadian canoeing, archery and even horse-riding. We climbed Simonside in the snow which felt like quite an achievement!
We had a great laugh remembering doing a play, which we wrote ourselves, in the Civic Centre for National Trust members. It included, as we recall, a scene set at Cragside involving Octavia Hill, the big fireplace and some really out-of-tune singing, which still makes us chuckle!
Besides all these activities to help the National Trust, the staff at the ICP enabled us to go away for residentials at a cost that we could afford, through their applications for funding from local charities to cover the real costs of the weekends away.
We have great memories of well-organised and action packed weekends and weeks at St.John-in-the-Vale, Kielder, St. Andrews Youth Centre in Coniston, Masham and Blubberhouses in Yorkshire, and even a visit to Northern Ireland to Newcastle. As well as lots of walking in the hills and mountains, we did art, drama, and even had a fancy dress competition. Memories of lovely scenery, a ride on the Gondola on Lake Coniston, a visit to the old slate minem and Campbell's (of Bluebird fame) grave are but a few of all the recollections we treasure and still talk about when we meet together at the Holy Jesus.
In the Centenary Year as part of the celebrations we found ourselves helping at Gibside, and we still have a photo of our group with the TV presenter's boom in the picture.
We are well aware that, all these things that we've had a chance to experience, we wouldn't have been able to without the ICP. Also, by going to places together as a group we have all these wonderful shared memories and a great set of friends.
We feel fortunate that the ICP has continued to let us use the Holy Jesus Hospital on a weekly basis, and also has made the mini-bus available for outings in the summer to places like Seahouses, Holy Island, The Secret Garden as well as our favourite National Trust properties: without the mini-bus we cannot get there.
Not all of us had even heard of the National Trust before we got involved through walking and volunteering at the ICP, but now several of us have got family members who have a car and have become members of the National Trust. So in the long-term the ICP has 'increased membership' and contributed positively to the 'visitor experience'.
And no-one can take our memories away...
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