International education charity Project Trust features in the latest episode of How Scotland Works
A Scottish charity based on the remote Isle of Coll is the star of a BBC documentary series.
The Inner Hebridean island, a two and a half hour trip from the mainland, was featured in the latest episode of How Scotland Works.
The programme, which is now in its second series, takes a fresh look at 21st century Scotland over three episodes and is being screened on BBC 2 Scotland on Tuesday nights.
Project Trust, the charity which arranges international volunteer placements for school leavers and is in its 50th year, is the main employer on the island which is home to around just 200 people.
Both chief executive Ingrid Emerson and the charity’s overseas director John Fraser were interviewed and featured about half an hour in to the programme which is available on the BBC iPlayer.
Filming took place last year, and the camera crew spent four days with us filming a selection week
Emerson said the trust plays a big part in island life. “I think the impact [of Project Trust] on Coll is huge,” she said.
“It’s a relatively small Hebridean island, it’s pretty remote it’s quite isolated yet suddenly you come across this very vibrant, active, reasonably young group of people who by and large the majority have moved here for the actual work.
“There is a real sense of busyness about Coll and while Project Trust is absolutely not totally responsible for that it certainly plays a big part in it.”
The documentary featured a group of school leavers and potential Project Trust overseas volunteers arrive on the island, which has no police and no street lights, for a week’s selection course.
They, like all Project Trust volunteers, were put through their paces and given the chance to demonstrate their strengths so the charity could match them up to the best role.
Some even took part in the island’s annual fishing tournament which was on at the time.
Of the selection week Fraser said: “Its excellent preparation ground for people going overseas. It weeds out a lot of people who might think it is a bit far and it mimics a lot of travelling overseas, even to get from Scotland to here is not straight forward, if you’re coming from the south of England or Europe as many of our volunteers come from, it is a journey in itself.”
John Sharp. Project Trust’s assistant director, told TFN the charity enjoyed being in the spotlight.
He added: “Filming took place last year, and the camera crew spent four days with us filming a selection week.
“The activities throughout Project Trust’s Selection course are designed to give all candidates a chance to demonstrate their different strengths, allowing the charity to match their skills to the requirements of their overseas partners and communities.
“Throughout the course candidates live with a host family on Coll, giving them the chance to immerse themselves in the community of the island.”
