Upskill
Our Community Matters • 26 •
Churchill Fellowship recipient blazes a trail for marginalised hikers and bikers
A Churchill Fellowship study opportunity saw Ben Trewren travel from his home in Lobethal, South Australia, to Whistler, Canada – and beyond – to learn about shared-use trails. BY LIZ HARFULL
When Adelaide Hills outdoor educator Ben Trewren first heard about Churchill Fellowships, he assumed they were not for people like him.
people at risk, and sits on the board of Walking SA, a not-for-profit peak body that leads, promotes and supports all forms of walking in South Australia.
“I’m just an everyday guy and they sounded too prestigious,” Ben says.
It was a board colleague who convinced him to apply for a Churchill Fellowship, even though Ben himself didn’t believe he would be successful.
Ben is the experiential learning manager at Youth Inc, an Adelaide-based not-for-profit education organisation that offers alternative learning approaches for people aged 17 to 24.
“I was still in my twenties and had a lot of learning to do, so I decided to apply with the belief that I wouldn’t get it.
Ben’s role involves creating real-life and adventure-based learning experiences. A keen mountain biker, paddler and bushwalker, Ben is a qualified mountain bike and bushwalking instructor with a degree in international studies. He also volunteers as a team leader with Operation Flinders, a wilderness adventure program for young offenders and young
“I treated it as a first-time learning exercise that would help me apply again later on.” In his Fellowship application, he proposed exploring opportunities to develop world-class shared-use trail destinations in South Australia. “I have a genuine passion for the outdoors and the ways that trails can bring people together and build communities, but we need to improve
