Our Erasmus Adventure with Churches Trust 🌍✨
By Adel, Anna, Lili and Zsuzsana.
Hey everyone! 👋
We’re Adel, Anna, Lili and Zsuzsana, four students from Hungary, and we’ve just spent four unforgettable weeks in Derry as part of our Erasmus+ work placement with the amazing team at Churches Trust.
From the moment we arrived, we were blown away by how kind and welcoming everyone was. The offices were clean, calm and cosy, a totally different vibe from busy Budapest and we quickly felt right at home.
Getting Started ☕📦🎨
Our first week was full of new experiences! We got to know everyone through friendly chats, small introductions and even a little tour of the office. We helped with everyday tasks like organising cupboards, shredding papers, tidying up and sorting clothes in the charity shop.
Sometimes we went shopping for supplies or helped with donations, no two days were the same! One of the best parts was working with children, which at first seemed a little scary, but quickly became one of the most fun parts of our placement. We painted, crafted and even taught them how to fold paper boats! Seeing their creativity and focus during activities like the watercolour workshop was absolutely heartwarming. 💛
Learning by Doing
This month wasn’t just about work, it was about growth, learning and fun.
We all noticed how much our English improved, and we became more confident and independent day by day. We learned teamwork, time management and how to handle different kinds of tasks, even the unexpected ones!
It was also fascinating to see the differences between Derry and Hungary. For example, public transport here is quite different, the buses don’t go as often, and trains are more expensive, but people are so much more laid-back and friendly, which makes up for it! We also loved exploring charity shops, which are on another level here — so much more accessible and full of treasures. 🛍️
Favourite Memories 💬🎨❤️
Each of us has our own favourite moments:
Adel loved working with children and found it inspiring to see how creative and open they were.
Anna enjoyed the variety of tasks and said the experience made her more independent and confident.
Lili’s highlight was the coffee morning, where everyone came together to chat and share smiles.
Zsuzsana will never forget the moment one of the boys who came to the Churches Trust for mentoring gave her a drawing he made just for her, such a sweet and unforgettable gift. 🖼️
And of course, we all loved the watercolour workshop, where we could relax, create and connect with others through art.
Looking Back 🌈
These four weeks have taught us so much not only about work, but also about people, community and ourselves. We’ve learned to adapt, to be patient and to appreciate the little things that make every day meaningful.
We’ll definitely go home with only good memories, new skills and lots of new friends. The people at Churches Trust made us feel so supported and this experience showed us how much joy there is in helping others and working together.
We’re heading back to Hungary full of positive energy, inspiration, and gratitude and we hope everyone at Churches Trust enjoyed having us as much as we loved being part of this amazing team! 💙e body content of your post goes here. To edit this text, click on it and delete this default text and start typing your own or paste your own from a different source.
The Churches Trust
