A One of a Kind Trip

3rd June 2015

By Helen Robson

If you are lucky enough to have visited Valencia in Spain you are likely to have experienced its beautiful architecture, relaxed, creative culture, tasty tapas and perhaps even the traditional bull fighting! On my recent trip to this region I experienced another side that you are not likely to as a tourist.

In contrast to the grandeur of Valencia we stayed in a small town around 20 minutes drive away called Pucol. It’s a beautiful area situated between the mountains and coastline but there is also a real need for help. Spain has had a turbulent history, and the spectres of massacres from the dictator Franco still plague the memories of much of the older population, with loved ones brutally killed. The people here are also some of the worst hit by unemployment in Europe making day to day life very hard for many.

A team of 8 of us from Loughborough spent 7 days volunteering for a Church called La Rocca in Pucol. During our stay we hosted community events, helped transform a barren area of land into the makings of a fruitful vegetable patch, as well as meeting and bringing food to the women living and working in the red light district. It was not all hard graft though as we also enjoyed the generous hospitality of the locals, met some really inspirational people and even got to see some of the beautiful sites in Valencia and had an afternoon on Pucol’s relaxed beach.

One project that we were unfortunately not able to get involved with in our short stay was “One of a Kind”. Initiated by one of the church leaders and our main host (a Loughborough University design graduate like many of us here at deVOL) the project works with local women and teaches them a craft to help them earn money to feed their families.They have a range of very sweet t-shirt and cushions designs which would make the perfect present for kids- you can even get their name or initial sewn on the front. This project gives the women not only a much-needed income but also a sense of community and self-worth. I am hoping we can get some of their products on sale at our Cotes Mill showroom along with all of our other beautiful gifts. I think their hand-sewn hearts would be perfect at Christmas. Check out their Facebook page if you are interested!