Hi, I’m Cecilia, currently volunteering with Community Land Trust Brussels as part of the Upcycling Trust project, supported by Interreg. My main role is in communication, which includes writing articles and newsletters, coordinating with partners across Europe, and helping make the work of the project more visible.
The project itself focuses on making housing both permanently affordable and sustainable, by renovating existing buildings using circular methods and placing the land where they are built on, under community ownership. It’s an efficient way to link climate goals with housing justice, something that feels increasingly urgent in many European cities.
A big part of what I’ve been learning comes from the constant exchange with my colleagues and the advocacy team. I’ve realised how communication isn’t just about promotion, it’s also about supporting the broader goals of the project. The way we talk about our work shapes how people understand the issues, and that’s especially important when we’re trying to influence policy.
This experience has given me a clearer sense of how EU-funded projects operate, and how different partners cooperate across countries. It’s also helped me develop my skills, from writing for different audiences to managing updates across multiple pilot sites.
I’m happy to be part of something that shows how local, community-driven solutions can have relevance far beyond their neighbourhoods!
– Cecilia, IVY Project Partner at Community Land Trust Brussels, for the Interreg project Upcycling Trust, under the programme Interreg North West Europe.
