The Brilliant Resilience Project
July 18, 2022
In December 2020, as part of our Supporting Rural Communities grants programme, we supported the Northern Ireland Rural Housing Association with The Brilliant Resilience: Portraits of rural Fermanagh during the time of Covid.
The project addresses social isolation with older adults living in rural Co. Fermanagh, and builds resilience during and beyond the Covid-19 pandemic.
Stephen Fisher, CEO of Rural Housing Association said: “Rural Housing Association would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to The Prince’s Countryside Fund for the funding provided to enable us to run The Brilliant Resilience project in Fermanagh. This project has helped reconnect rural communities after an extremely challenging period of lockdown restrictions, when many living in rural areas were impacted by feelings of social isolation and loneliness. By bringing people together again we can help build resilience and create more connected and vibrant rural communities.”
Building on existing traditional skills and interests, stories and heritage specific to this rural community, the project will support local residents to engage in arts-based activities including knitting, crochet and photography as a means to address social isolation and loneliness often prevalent in rural communities. The project creates space for conversation, support their creative activity specific to Newtownbutler’s rural culture, and builds capacity for social enterprise to ensure sustainability.
The group has created a coffee table book to showcase the art created by residents as part of this project.
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