Walled City Community Partnership

Holywell Trust exists to facilitate understanding and healing in the encounter with others. There are many different contexts for this work, such as the historical, social, psychological, political, environmental, and spiritual, and we have attempted to address these in a variety of ways throughout the years.
The Trust was founded in 1988 by a group of community workers who believed that there was a need for an organisation that would encourage risk taking and stimulate creativity in community development and peace building within the City of Derry/Londonderry and its cross-border hinterland.
Holywell Trust Initiative emerges as an autonomous organisation that the Trust maintains a partnership or supportive role with.

During the course of Holywell’s 21 years of operations, the Trust has initiated 39 projects, partnering with over 20 other organisations. The Trust has also provided a supportive relationship to over 77 local community groups on a very wide range of issues, including community development, peace building, health, heritage, environment, sports, culture, literature, theatre, art, community education, and youth leadership. Additionally, Holywell Trust embarked on several international study tours most notability to Israel and Palestine and South Africa through its Journeys of Coexistence programme, and to Berlin and San Francisco as part of the Community Leadership Programme.
The Trust has been a member of The Community Relation’s Council since 2003, and in 2008, Holywell acquired charitable status and also became a full member of Northern Ireland Environmental Link (NIEL).
Based within the heart of the city, the Trust see itself as being at the forefront of the social regeneration of Derry-Londonderry and to this end has engaged with both the private and public sectors in addition to its collaboration with others in the community sector. Much of the work of the Trust is instinctively guided, forging new ground and testing community responses.
Holywell’s core activities can be described under the three headings of Initiatives, Partnerships and Support in an effort to build and deliver social cohesion and social regeneration. Although there is often a clear demarcation of projects under these headings, it is not always the case. What has at times begun as a

In order to build social cohesion and regeneration, Holywell Trust engages a wide range of methods that focus on community and personal development and relationships.

• The Trust initiates projects in the community, which reflect the synergy of community and personal development.
• The Trust provides forums for discussion and focus on action arising from these discussions.
• The Trust runs training courses, conferences and seminars.
• The Trust facilitates the process of healing within and between people so that we may move forward as whole, interdependent individuals.
• Holywell Trust provides support to and encourages co-operation with and between individuals, groups, voluntary and statutory agencies whenever it is appropriate.
• Holywell Trust publishes pamphlets, brochures and booklets to encourage community participation in decision-making.
• Holywell Trust encourages the development of innovative plans based on the needs of people here and campaigns to have the appropriate resources so that such plans can be put in into effect.
• Holywell Trust encourages transformation through partnership, innovation and the development of a new enabling vision.