Community as a superpower!
June 13, 2025
Community is the kind of superpower that doesn’t make headlines, but it can change everything – especially when you’re in a new place.
‘Community as a superpower!’ is the theme of Refugee Week 2025. It is also a concept that we at YDMT believe is vital when we think about the role that community plays in our work with those seeking sanctuary and other groups who find it difficult to access green spaces such as the Yorkshire Dales.
A renewed sense of optimism and belonging
We recognise how important it is to bring people together and to feel a sense of connection with green spaces. In particular, we want to ensure that those seeking sanctuary are not just welcomed, but actively included in our communities, so creating a renewed sense of optimism and belonging
Community is the driving force behind our Pathways project, which we’ve developed with our longstanding community group partners. The project enables us to work specifically with leaders of community groups in Leeds and Bradford to enable them to be comfortable and confident in being able to independently access and explore the Dales with other members of their communities.
The Pathways project will bring skills to these community leaders that will ripple out to the wider community, helping to ensure that individuals and groups continue to access nature and the Dales in years to come. The peer-to-peer network we are now developing will continue to thrive, offer support and provide a legacy.
We aim to work with approximately four groups in the first 12 months, delivering three trips for each group and one shared residential for all the group leaders. Community leaders will learn a variety of topics, ranging from map reading, activity and session ideas, to local knowledge and the logistics of group management. Community groups will then be supported to plan and lead their own sessions.
Sharing what the Dales has to offer
Reaching some of the most beautiful parts of the Dales can be challenging. We’re working to address this by identifying suitable sites that can be accessed by bus routes, allowing parents to bring their children and move around easily using pushchairs and buggy’s.
So far, we’ve engaged with over 60 participants through the Pathways project, each of whom have benefitted from being in nature, free from the pressure and challenges of daily life. Participants have enjoyed activities ranging from visiting the breath-taking landscape of Brimham Rocks, to first-hand experiences of lambing events in Yockenthwaite! Other recent venues have included Swinsey reservoir and Keasden Head Farm.
One of our participants who visited Keasden Head Farm, said: “I work nights, so it’s been many years since I’ve had the chance to come out to the countryside. I brought my family, and I couldn’t believe how green it is out here. You forget, you know? Being in it, hearing the birds, seeing the hills… it does something to you. I didn’t realise how much I needed it.”
The current Pathways cohort will receive Level 1 Forest School accreditation and in a recent development, our next group will receive a tailor-made YDMT accreditation. This means that both cohorts will receive a certificate to proudly reflect the wide range of skills they have learnt through our training programme.
Using Art and Nature to find Sanctuary
Mo Raham from Intercultured Festival participated in YDMT’s Pathways programme and is now using the skills and experience she gained to deliver ten residential trips to the Dales. As well as that Mo will deliver ten creative workshops in Bradford as part of our latest community-focused project ‘Art and Sanctuary in Nature’. Events started in May as part of the Bradford City of Culture Creative Health programme.
Watch out for updates on this inspiring project and our collaboration with Bradford City of Culture!
Meaningful experiences that change lives
Pathways is part of our People and the DALES project. Our team works with refugees and asylum seekers, people with a disability or mental health difficulties, minoritised ethnic groups and people experiencing socio-economic difficulties, and aims to equip them with the knowledge, skills and passion to be able to access and benefit from nature. We place their needs at the heart of what we do and build meaningful and impactful relationships based upon care and respect. Nature connectedness is associated with better mental health outcomes and an enhanced quality of life, but all these groups deal daily with barriers to accessing nature.
Rosie Russell-Cohen Communities Officer at YDMT said: “We’re incredibly grateful to the community leaders we work with for trusting us with these projects. Their belief in our vision allows us to create meaningful experiences that change lives. Every day, we witness the real impact of our work. Together, we’re making the Dales a place where people from all walks of life can find connection and feel like they belong.”
