Bravo Basecamp - We did it differently

Joanna Watson

20 July 2013

Attached to the Bee Tree at Basecamp last weekend was a lovely message from a participant: "You've turned Conference into a little adventure". It summed up the journey we've been on for the last year.

After lots of discussions and recce visits, we made the challenging decision to locate our annual get-together for environmental campaigners at Hartington in the heart of the Peak District.

We created our own mini-festival in the leafy grounds of the old 17^th century grange that is now a Youth Hostel; a location with virtually no mobile coverage and very little public transport. Close on 300 people slept in dorms or spread around the village and local farms, in B&Bs or at a nearby campsite. This required us to organise a complex timetable of shuttle buses to keep a packed agenda to time.

But as soon as I arrived on site to help with set-up, I knew it was going to be a great weekend. The sun shone, and our marquees and tents and yurts created an intimate and engaging space.

The children's play area and creative tent for making 'Bee Craft-y' things were a contrast to the usual information-heavy stalls.  I found it refreshing to hear children's shouts in the background and to share workspace with a curious hen and lop-eared rabbits, not to mention swallows and bats.

Hartington people are very welcoming and Friends of the Earth's arrival caused something of a stir. Our activities spread into the church and the village hall and many enjoyed the local ice cream, custard tarts and friendly local pub.

It was great to see people plotting their route through the programme, engaging in discussions, making themselves tea, eating out under the trees and gathering to listen to writer George Monbiot in the courtyard like the congregation of an open-air preacher.

Stand out moments for me include Friends of the Earth's Craig Bennett demonstrating statistics using a column of toilet rolls and our well attended sessions on Big Ideas Change the World, our new research project which everyone has a chance to get involved in. That and watching a very determined black cow advance on our Chief Executive Andy Atkins whilst out on the fells on a sketching expedition. He handled this with his customary aplomb.

Unusually for an event organiser, I loved every moment of Basecamp and felt relaxed throughout. We had an incredible team to run it and everyone who came got stuck in to make the best of the experience. Summed up by another message on the tree: Lovely weather. Lovely people. Lovely place.

Joanna Watson, Events Manager