Here’s an inspiring report on this year’s Longney Orchard camp from the Creative Sustainability organisation. This local Community Interest Company organise (amongst many other things) camping weekends and day camps for disadvantaged young people, including disabled, refugees and asylum seekers.
Most of their camping programme had to be cancelled this year because of the Covid restrictions so the Longney event was particularly important this time.
Some quotes from the report:
‘I haven’t been into the countryside since I came to England, I don’t know where to go, whether I am welcome or safe or whether I have permission, or where I can walk’
‘This is the first sunset I’ve seen since coming to England’
‘..I found myself daydreaming of home before it became unsafe, for the first time. Normally I have nightmares. It’s being here at the orchard. It’s so peaceful – I slept well.’
‘I can see my home all around…(he pointed around the orchard as he spoke) these fruit trees, some crops, the muddy track, homes where my family, friends, aunties and uncles live, someone sleeping under the trees, the smell of cooking, goats here, chickens over there, camels and cows here’
‘It made me remember to live’
You can read the full report below or click here to download it. For more information on Creative Sustainability click here.
Click to access Report-for-Orchard-Trust.pdf
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