SDNP welcome Mosaic Community Champions

The South Downs National Park hosted twelve Mosaic Community Champions for a weekend visit to Alfriston and the Seven Sisters Country Park.

Mosaic is an initiative that aims to increase the number of ethnic minority visitors to National Parks by building links between Community Champions and ten of the National Parks, including the South Downs.

The visit gave the Champions, youth group leaders and community representatives, who came from across East and West Sussex and London, the opportunity to learn about the area, about volunteering and to look at the possibilities of organising visits for their communities.

SDNP staff took those involved on a guided walk over the South Downs to Cuckmere Haven followed by a kayaking session on the meanders of the river.

Peter Harris, vice president of the South Downs Society, also led a walk over Crowlink to Birling Gap and explained the early beginnings of the campaign to get the South Downs designated as a National Park.

The weekend ended with an afternoon at Birling Gap clearing and burning scrub with the South Downs Volunteer Rangers and SDNPA Volunteer Coordinator Ian Hartle. Champions got first-hand experience of conservation volunteering and discussed different opportunities for this in the National Park.

Margaret Paren, Chair of South Downs National Park Authority, commented: “We were delighted to welcome the Mosaic Community Champions to the South Downs and to provide them with the opportunity to learn more about the National Park and how they can help get their communities more involved.” 

Chizuko Masuda from Brighton and volunteer with Migrant English Project commented: "To join in with [the volunteer rangers] and clear gorse was a great experience. I also found places where I can bring people who I work with  who have special needs.”

As a result of the trip, Faustina Bayo, a Champion from Brighton, is organising a weekend to the National Park and is already planning with the SDNPA to do some conservation work.

Contact Details:

For more information please contact the press office on:

Tel: 01730 811785, Mobile: 07557 853277

Email: press@southdowns.gov.uk