The teenager, who celebrates her 17th birthday this Saturday, and Heather Armstrong, from Kesh, are leaving for Cyprus tomorrow, Friday, while four other local participants include Brenda McKenna, from Augher, who is going to Cascades Job Corps, Seattle, U.S.A., and Fiona Rooney, from Enniskillen, is travelling to Croatia. Donna Ferguson, from Belleek, is off to Penobscot Job Corps, Bangor, Maine U.S.A., and Ciaran Smyth, from Enniskillen’s destination is a School for International Training, Vermont U.S.A.

    Eloise, from Pubble, a daughter of Ingrid and the late Peter Wilson, was delighted to gain a place and it will undoubtedly hold a special significance for her as her late aunt Marie Wilson was one of 11 people who died in the Enniskillen tragedy and her late grandfather, Gordon Wilson, who was injured in the explosion, became involved in the Spirit of Enniskillen. In fact, his association with the programme has become apparent to Eloise in some of her preparation for the project.

    She enjoys travel and previously went to Nashville with the Ulster Project, two years ago.

    Her younger sister, Judith, a year 11 G.C.S.E. student at the Collegiate Grammar School, appears to have followed in her footsteps and she has just left for Nashville with the Ulster Project.

    Tomorrow, Eloise leaves for Cyprus — where she will spend two weeks.

    Her participation in the Spirit of Enniskillen scheme came about after she initially submitted an application and was selected for an interview which took place in February. In March she heard that she had gained a place, having at first been placed on reserve. Her selection as a candidate was a pleasing development as it was something she wanted to do.

    Eloise, a year 13 ‘A’ level student in French, Music and R.E. at Enniskillen Collegiate Grammar School, joins a group of 10 travelling to Cyprus.

    The young woman, who hopes to study music at university, believes it will prove a brilliant experience and it has enabled her to make new friends.

    Last week, she joined other young people at a reception in Belfast to mark the awarding of 50 Spirit of Enniskillen Bursaries to successful candidates for the year 2000.

    A spokeswoman for the venture explained that “through a programme based both in Northern Ireland and on international placements, the Spirit of Enniskillen encourages young people to work towards the development of greater understanding and respect between all cultural traditions.”

    She explained that participants, aged 16 to 19 years, travel in July to host groups in five overseas locations.

    “Backed up by a full preparation and evaluation programme in Northern Ireland, the international visits enable young people to experience how other communities and cultures are dealing with difference and conflicts of their own,” she said.

    For the first time this year a project group will be placed for two weeks in Vukovar, a mainly Serb town in Croatia, and the party will also visit Northern Bosnia, while a second group is travelling to Cyprus to meet and work with young people from both Greek and Turkish origins.

    Two other groups are taking part in intercultural learning programmes run by US Jobs Corps centres, one in Bangor, Maine, and the other in Cascades, close to Seattle. The final group will meet young people from Israel, Palestine and Cyprus for discussions in the School for International Training in Vermont, U.S.A.

    Chuck Richardson, director of the Trust, commented that “young people in Northern Ireland wish to make a contribution for the good of society - if given the right opportunity and the support to do this.”

    He added: “These projects effectively help them to clarify their personal opinions and to open up their choices on how they might make this contribution. They also help them to feel much more at ease in dealing with other cultures.”

    Over the past three months, the Spirit of Enniskillen participants have been working together in preparation for their visits abroad and are looking forward to discussions with their counterparts overseas.

    On return, they have the chance to pass on their experiences and understanding.