A community project helps neighbours feel at home at Mount Stewart

People who once felt little connection to Mount Stewart in Northern Ireland are finding reasons to return, after helping design a project around their own needs.

The BeHere project brought groups from The Link in Newtownards and Kilcooley Women’s Centre in Bangor together with researchers, artists and National Trust staff. They met weekly for nine months, using photographs and crafts to explore what made the house and gardens feel welcoming or uncomfortable.

A newly published research collection, supported by almost £500,000 in Community Innovation Practitioner awards, includes their experience.

The case study relies on participants’ accounts and observations, rather than a controlled comparison. Building trust took time: groups met in familiar community centres for nearly two months before visiting.

Participants reported deeper connections to Mount Stewart, continued creative activities afterwards and visited other heritage sites. Partner organisations also noticed greater confidence in using community resources. Starting where people felt comfortable helped them explore places that had previously felt unfamiliar.

Sources

• Northumbria University — new community innovation research
• AHRC Creative Communities — BeHere case study