- What is Mosaic trying to achieve and why?
- Who are the Mosaic Partners?
- Organisational Change
- Getting involved with the Mosaic Partnership
- What is a National Park?
- Where are the National Parks?
- Example visits to National Parks by community groups
- Accommodation in National Parks
- Contact Us
- Useful Links
What is Mosaic trying to achieve and why?
How have we identified the need for the Mosaic Partnership?
The completion of the earlier "Mosaic Project" (2001 - 2004) was marked by a detailed review of its achievements and successes. From the perspective of ethnic communities, the Mosaic Project:
- Promoted National Parks as part of our shared cultural heritage, as well as places offering opportunities for physical recreation and spiritual renewal
- Highlighted the need to create more opportunities to visit and enjoy National Parks
- Enabled first time visits for many people
- Established new links between Parks and these communities
- Provided training and support to National Park staff to improve their visitor welcome
- Created a model and resources for visiting National Parks
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(left) Shree Prajapati Association (Birmingham), Peak District National Park |
However, further consultation with project participants highlighted a series of additional needs, which the Mosaic Partnership now seeks to address:
- Some of the community group members who benefited from the first project have shown real interest in increasing their own understanding and involvement in National Parks, including taking a greater part in the decisions affecting the National Parks.
- The most enthusiastic community group members are keen to act as a resource to the National Park Authorities and the other Mosaic partners to help build a stronger relationship between their communities and National Parks as a whole.
- They are also keen to ensure that their own communities continue to benefit from and contribute to National Parks but many BME community groups lack the necessary information or skills to extend their involvement.
- Within the National Park Authorities and the YHA, the understanding of how to relate to different communities has been largely restricted to those staff working at a "grass roots" level. Large sections of staff and the members/trustees of the Authorities and the YHA have not been actively involved in working with new communities but are keen to do so.
- The partner organisations want to find new ways of making decisions, consulting, providing information and education services, and increasing the range of people who care about and can influence the future management of the National Parks.
What are the aims of the Mosaic Partnership?
The Mosaic Partnership will address the needs identified above by building a long term and strategic engagement between Black & Minority Ethnic (BME) communities and National Parks.
There are two distinct strands to the project. The first is to train and develop 'Community Champions' from within BME community groups to act as ambassadors and information conduits between their own communities and the National Parks. See Community Champions
The second strand involves organisations within the National Parks movement wishing to work more closely with BME communities and enrich their organisation through greater cultural diversity. See Organisational Change.