Focus on Family take on Countryfile Ramble

Focus on Family which is based in Coleraine uses a three-year grant of £29,928 from BBC Children in Need to support the Eco-Warriors club, a nature based activity programme for children aged 5-11 living on the Ballysally and Milburn estates.

The project was established by Brendan Patterson, who saw an opportunity to transform unused community housing and derelict land on the estates into a social hub and outdoor oasis with facilities for the whole community.

The Eco-Warriors club runs every day and provides children with fun, nature-inspired activities such as growing fruit and veg, opportunities to explore the local wildlife, build dens and improve their understanding of the importance of recycling.

Some of the members of the Eco-Warriors club joined Countryfile presenter Adam Henson, as he lead an adventurous ramble through Glenariff Forest Park. The ramble was filmed and will broadcast in a special programme ‘The Countryfile Ramble for BBC Children in Need’ on Sunday, October 27 on BBC One.

Brendan Patterson, Project Manager for Focus on Family said: “We were absolutely delighted to take part in the Countryfile Ramble for BBC Children in Need this year. Here at Focus on Family, we think it’s so important that children and young people have an opportunity to get outside and explore.”

Since the Countryfile Ramble began in 2015, ramblers have raised more than £6.2 million for the charity. This year will once again see the presenters rambling in some of the nation’s most beautiful locations, including Glenariff Forest Park in Northern Ireland, Scone Palace in Scotland, the Worcestershire riverside, the North Cornwall coastline and the Ridgeway Walking Route in Wiltshire.

In Northern Ireland, BBC Children in Need currently funds 184 projects to a value of more than £10 million.