We’re so pleased to share the evaluation of a wonderful project we were part of this summer that supported Syrian refugee families to walk together in Greenwich, South London.
Led by our Plumstead Blaze Trails walking group organiser Laura, as part of her own work at Between Humans, we partnered with Greenwich Inclusion Project (GrIP) to:
bring the joys and benefits that come with walking to Syrian refugee families
to increase confidence amongst participants around getting outdoors
to help families with babies and young children from the Syrian community to feel connected to their local area.
The project also sought to explore how organisations like Blaze Trails CIC, who supports parents across the country to get outdoors, and a local place-based community organisation like Greenwich Inclusion Project, could work together to help groups traditionally under-represented in the outdoors to access nature.
Four walks took place between July-September 2022, with 12 Syrian families attending, and 37 people involved in total.
The evaluator, Ruth Naughton-Doe, a Research Fellow at the University of York, used creative methods such as ‘zine-making to illuminate the outcomes of the project around the following areas:
Seeing new places
Improving English language
Physical health
Well-being
Time in nature
Quality time with friends and family
Sharing food
Benefits for children
Ruth also identified some barriers or challenges that families faced in getting outdoors:
Weather
Public transport and mobility
Being busy or having other responsibilities
What comes through in the evaluation is not only positive experiences that families had while out walking together, including the important role that sharing food played in enjoying time outdoors, but also the learning for us and other organisations of how we can partner to support similar community groups to get outside in the future.
We’re really excited to continue supporting GrIP to build capacity in their organisation and run volunteer-led walks in Greenwich, and to see how we can support other local Blaze Trails walking groups to connect with community organisations in their local areas.
We hope you enjoy reading the evaluation - please do get in touch with any of us involved to ask questions, or to work with us and build on the learning within.
Click here to download the full report, or read the report below.
With special thanks from Blaze Trails CIC to:
Laura, who’s ideas, energy and commitment to her local community were at the heart of this project
Fatima, who took such care to support the families to take the leap into walking together
Ruth, for working alongside the partnership to capture the project’s outcomes
To find out more, please contact:
Fatima, Sanctuary Project Volunteer Co-ordinator, Greenwich Inclusion Project: fatima.jama@griproject.org.uk
Laura, Founder, Between Humans: hello@between-humans.com
Katy, Founder, Blaze Trails CIC: hello@blazetrails.org.uk
