Saturday 12th October - Participant Arrival Day

It is amazing that the day we have all been looking forward to and planning is finally here – the day when 38 young people from all across Europe descend on Malvern Outdoor Centre for our Autumn Seminar.

Logistically it is a challenge to get people from almost 20 different countries to our little corner in Worcestershire.  Fortunately Birmingham is not too far away and has good international links via the airport and train stations.  People began arriving at the airport from 7 in the morning and the last one landed at almost 7 at night.  Claire, Gaz and I made an early trip to the airport to meet the first participants and Claire took the first group, and I departed around 1pm with the next group of 12 and Gaz brought the rest about 8pm.  It makes for a long day being sat in an airport, but with fresh faces to meet and greet every hour or so it kept it interesting.  

It was quite easy to spot participants as they walked through the arrival gates – they were often looking a little lost, carrying loads of luggage and usually wearing tops branded with the names of their organisations.  Everyone was pleased to have arrived and already I could see we had a really great bunch of enthusiastic and energetic people.  We had a bit of a rush to catch the trains to Malvern, first taking the train from the airport into Birmingham and then running for the next train at Birmingham New Street Station.  It is these times when the girls wish they had not brought so much stuff, but us boys were more than happy to help and make some good impressions!

As the journey passed we moved more and more into the countryside, eventually arriving in Malvern with the great Malvern Hills lifting up behind the town.  Nick from Malvern Outdoor Elements (our venue) picked us up in a minibus and took us about half way up the hill to the centre.  The rest of the prep team were on hand to show participants around, facilitate registration and give out the participant packs with an assortment of goodies.

As part of the seminar it is usual for each country represented to give a presentation about themselves, their country and rural youth organisation.  So most spent the afternoon preparing these ready for tomorrow, whilst others who’d had long flights or not much sleep the night before, got some horizontal time.

After supper Gaz arrived with the last participants and Marieke coordinated some ice-breaking sessions which were great fun.  By the end we pretty much all knew each others names and had begun making new friends.  Everyone had been quiet when they arrived but now they were all beginning to talk more with each other and the socializing continued late into the night…