Julie McElroy: 'always loved the outdoors'
An award-winning adventurer is looking for volunteers for a wilderness project based on Scotland’s most southerly munro.
Julie McElroy’s event around Ben Lomond, aimed at people with disabilities, follows two successful similar ventures on Arran and in Kintail.
The project, supported by the National Trust for Scotland, will see disabled participants take part in a range of outdoor activities including a taste of the kind of conservation work that is an important aspect of the trust’s work.
Ms McElroy is herself disabled. She has cerebral palsy, which affects her speech and mobility. She is also profoundly deaf.
She was nominated for the Evening Times Scotswoman of the Year 2011and the City of Glasgow awarded her the Lord Provost’s Award for inspirational leadership. In November last year, she was awarded the Fellowship of Cardonald College in recognition of her work on equality and diversity.
Ms McElroy is now seeking a team for this year’s challenge in September. Participants must be aged between 18 and 25 and be able to commit to the full five days of the project.
She said: “This time around we’ve raised the challenge, offering disabled participants the opportunity to camp out overnight and complete the Discovery level of the John Muir Award.”
She herself completed her top Conserver John Muir Award at the age of 25 two years ago.
In 2011, she joined the NTS in taking six people to the Isle of Arran on the trust’s Brodick property for the first Wilderness Weekend. The following year, eight participants took part in a similar adventure based at Morvich in Kintail.
Ms McElroy said: “I have always had a love of the outdoors and I am thrilled to be back for the third time running this wilderness project.
“The third wilderness adventure will be more stimulating and interesting for the disabled participants.
“More importantly, we are offering disabled participants the opportunity to camp for one night as part of the experience and give them the opportunity to make a start on their John Muir Award Journey.”
Last year's wilderness project group in Kintail
This year’s adventure will take place in the Year of Natural Scotland.
Emily Sanderson, community partnerships co-ordinator from the National Trust for Scotland said: “After the success of the previous two projects we are delighted to be working with Julie on another wilderness project, this time at our stunning property, Ben Lomond.
“The trust believes that its properties are ‘a place for everyone’ and we therefore relish the opportunity to continue to open our doors to an ever wider representation of Scotland’s community.
“As a conservation organisation, we see our volunteering opportunities as a great way for people to contribute to conserving some of the most significant sites in the country.”
The Ben Lomond wilderness project will take place from 23 to 27 September.
More information is available by emailing Emily Sanderson and on Julie McElroy’s website.
