Putting ‘Compassion into Action’ in the Dales
August 16, 2023
The theme of Refugee Week 2023 was ‘Compassion’. Compassion is what drives Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust’s (YDMT) People and the DALES team. They bring people to the Yorkshire Dales to foster connections with communities who otherwise might not be able to access green spaces or experience the many benefits that spending time in nature can have on our health and wellbeing.
That is why we teamed up with our long-term friends, the Darwen Asylum and Refugee Enterprise (DARE) to provide a three-day residential at Broadrake for people who have fled war and persecution to seek sanctuary in the UK.
DARE supports the refugee and asylum seeker communities in Blackburn and Darwen, providing English classes, a gardening club, weekly lunches, trips out and so much more. For the three days, the group, including people from Afghanistan, Ukraine, Kuwait, Iraq, Monserrat, Iran, and Syria had a chance to rest, relax and be themselves, away from the stresses of city life.
YDMT Trainee, Shelby, helped deliver the residential, alongside People and the DALES (PaD) Officer Rosie and our former PaD Officer Judy. Here is what she had to say about the experience:
“Our residential to Broadrake with DARE was a pivotal experience within my role as YDMT trainee. Situated at the bottom of Whernside, nestled in the beautiful bunk barn which overlooks meadow fields, Ribblehead Viaduct and Ingleborough, we were truly blessed to be in such a picturesque location, made all the more wonderful by glorious sunshine from beginning to end; something of a rarity here in the Yorkshire Dales! It was a privilege to be able to welcome friends from DARE, to escape the harshness of city life, creating space to move beyond labels, dismantling stereotypes, and most importantly building a sense of belonging.
Taking place in the lead up to Refugee Week, our theme was ‘Compassion’ and this transpired throughout our time together. In just a few days we experienced so much, from exploring the unique landscape, we would walk and talk, sharing stories and getting to know another. Our first walk was enriched by Judy’s bountiful knowledge of the area and history of the building of the Viaduct. Once back, we took to the barn for some craft activities, making lanterns while Racheal (one of our hosts) shared traditional wood carving skills. As the evening drew in, we gathered to eat dinner together, before finally vacating outside for a campfire led by myself (for the first time) and assisted by Rosie. We prepared pudding together, cooking over the flames, a mix of cinnamon crumble apples, chocolate bananas and hot drinks. It was a privilege to facilitate such a wholesome activity, seeing people open up as they watched the flames and hover over the embers until dusk turned to night.
On our second day together, we rose early and headed to Hawes for the Wensleydale Creamery. Learning about the process of cheese making before being welcomed to a cheese tasting experience. With our bellies full of cheese we walked through fields, crossing streams and rivers before we arrived at Hardraw Force. This was a particularly special moment of the trip, as we paused in front of the spectacular waterfall, taking a moment to appreciate the beauty around us and in one another. Proceeding on our walk, up into the hill tops to appreciate the panoramic views, before descending back down into Hawes, returning to the mini-bus for a well-earned rest as we drove back to Broadrake.
Just like the night before, we gathered to eat dinner but this time welcoming guests from Quakers in Malham and our Broadrake hosts. Creating space for so many at the dinner table, all from diverse backgrounds with unique life experiences, places emphasis on how the simple act of sharing food can bring people together, to relax, unwind and find solace in community. I felt these feelings were shared among us, as by popular demand we headed back outside and built another campfire. Spending our final night together, singing, chatting, dancing, and playing games as we watched the sun go down.
The next morning, we headed out for our last activity which was coordinated by Ellie Parker from Wild Ingleborough. Ellie shared her knowledge as we walked along the bottom of Ingleborough and along the limestone pavements of Seascales. This allowed for ample time to take photographs together and cherish the wonderful few days we had enjoyed before returning back to Broadrake and saying our farewells.
In its entirety, the trip felt like we had been on a journey, in a physical sense but emotional too. Journeying is of course something members of DARE are all too familiar with, but this felt like a small chapter with added hope and happiness to their stories. It was a pleasure to have met such courageous, kind-hearted, and compassionate people. Thank you to organisers Judy Rogers, DARE volunteers John East and Daleen Ten Cate, all who work tirelessly and are a true inspiration for the career I one day hope to lead, and a massive thank you to members of DARE who came along, it really wouldn’t have been such a memorable trip without each and every one of you!
From a personal view, this was a truly profound experience, one which instils my passion for creating space for those displaced and for nature’s ability to heal and transform lives!”
These sentiments are reflected in some of the feedback we got from the DARE members:
“This trip was one of the best days of my life in these ten months in England. Thank you all for the good feeling you gave me.” – Feysol
“The trip was very enlightening, educational, spiritually refreshing, and encouraging.” – Rickie
“I had a lot of fun on this trip, everything was great, friends, I am very excited to repeat this trip with all of you. Walking with the company was wonderful and getting to know the area, the mountains, the wonderful bridge and the beautiful nature…in fact everything was beautiful.” – Abdullah
“I wanted to extend my heartfelt appreciation for the privilege of experiencing the breath taking beauty of nature, made possible by your generous assistance. Words cannot adequately express my gratitude for the invaluable support you provided in arranging and facilitating this extraordinary journey. I am deeply grateful for your unwavering guidance, love and support throughout the trip. It was something special.” – Natalie
Find out more about our work with communities in the Dales.
