Earlier this year, the Marnhull Hub awarded travel bursaries to three local students to help fund their volunteering activities overseas.

Not-for-profit social enterprise the Marnhull hub is run entirely by volunteers. Now based at Marnhull Village Hall and meeting every Saturday for two hours from 10am, the Hub’s weekly drop-in coffee morning, recycling point and repair café provide a much-needed focal point for meeting friends.

Marnhull makes a difference: Thea Primrose and Frankie Radford travelled to Kenya, with financial assistance from Marnhull Hub

Marnhull makes a difference: Thea Primrose (pictured) and Frankie Radford travelled to Kenya, with financial assistance from Marnhull Hub

Since its inception in 2019, the Hub has gone from strength to strength and has provided the opportunity for villagers to socialise safely during what have been difficult times.
The Hub team was acutely aware that the Covid pandemic particularly impacted young adults. Lockdowns, travel restrictions and on-line learning reduced social interaction and impacted a very important period in young people’s lives and development. So late in 2021 the Hub considered what it could do to support the younger adults, who are the future of the village, to gain valuable life experience as the world opens up again during 2022?

Marnhull makes a difference: Thea Primrose and Frankie Radford travelled to Kenya, with financial assistance from Marnhull Hub

Marnhull makes a difference: Thea Primrose and Frankie Radford travelled to Kenya, with financial assistance from Marnhull Hub

Marnhull makes a difference: Thea Primrose and Frankie Radford (pictured) travelled to Kenya, with financial assistance from Marnhull Hub

The answer was the Marnhull Hub Travel Bursary. The idea of the Bursary was to provide impactful financial support for young adults aged between 17 and 21 who have lived within the Marnhull Parish boundaries for at least two years to enable them to participate in a volunteering project overseas during 2022.
With the financial support from the Marnhull Hub, Thea Primrose flew to Croatia in July to work with a charity called Operation Wallacea, a biodiversity and climate research organisation. The expedition was based at the Krka National Park and on the island of Silba.
In July, Frankie and Judah Radford travelled to Nakuru, Kenya, on an expedition organised by African Adventures, teaching and building classrooms for children in extreme poverty.
The participants and volunteers at Marnhull Hub hope that the fantastic adventures of these young people will inspire others to consider volunteering in 2023, when further bursaries will be available to students living in the Parish.
For more information please visit www.marnhullhub.org.uk.