Putting our Trust in the City Community to Make Exeter Greater, By Liz Finnie

While I was in London for the closing meeting of the festival I co-organise, Liz kindly took the baton and headed to one of Exeter’s swankiest hotels to hear all about Exeter City’s ‘City community Trust’ and to meet their patron..

 

My first experience of the Mercure Exeter Southgate Hotel was a very exciting one! Not only was I asked to cover a charity name-change launch event there, but I was hoping to meet one of my teenage comedy idols, Ade Edmondson, who is also the charity patron.

The charity, previously named as ‘Football in the Community’, was keen to let the people of Exeter know its new name: ‘City Community Trust’. The ‘City’ aspect of this new name not only represents Exeter City Football Club but also Exeter City itself as a community. Furthermore, the new name encompasses a multitude of sports, not just football, thus opening it up to the wider sports community. The single focus of this charity however, is improving the health and wellbeing of Exeter’s inhabitants whilst improving the city’s pollution, drugs, drink and homelessness problems.

According to NHS statistics, 80% of people in the UK fail to exercise for the recommended 20 minutes/3 times weekly –which made me feel rather proud of my own running, yoga and high-intensity training efforts of late! As detailed by members of the Board of Trustees, Julian Tagg and Chris Gill, the ‘City Community Trust’ programme turns lives around, gets people more active, engages people of all ages, and educates. Exeter is currently the most activity city in the South West and through the ‘Community City Trust’ is aiming to be the most active city in the UK: which could explain why Ade Edmondson dropped the ‘F-bomb’ when explaining his passion for the city and his commitment to this charity.

So, if you’re all wondering if I got to meet Ade – two proseccos in, I had worked up the courage to approach him. We had a colourful conversation about life, kids, work, and wine: at which point I stole a selfie with him and departed on a high!

The charity website can be found here and explains ways in which local businesses and individuals can get involved or make funding contributions, as well as all the events taking place. I’m looking forward to taking my family to the Pop up in the Park event tomorrow at Hamlin Lane Playing Fields: right on my doorstep!

 

About the author:

Liz Finnie is our certified blogging Vino fanatic and gradual convert to organic living.

Liz grew up in Adelaide then York, and relocated to Exeter in 2010 with husband and 3 month-old daughter. With a scientific background in regenerative medicine (and now a second child) she works as a freelance science writer/editor. Having fallen in love with Devon’s beaches, towns, moors, farms, and people, Liz and family feel settled and are currently making their newfound house a home, whilst continuing to enjoy all that Devon has to offer.

 

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