BRINGING

The Continuum Project keeps kit going. Stuff you don’t need, you’ve forgotten, or stuff you just don’t love anymore can be loved again. Send it to us and we’ll pass it on.

Last year, Mir Jansen launched Peak District New Beginnings. She wanted to bring asylum seekers and refugees together to integrate into life in Sheffield through volunteering, employment and education support. To help them Go Nice Places Do Good Things.

To create the project, Mir worked with refugees, Arts Council England and seven other partners, including Peak District National Park, Derbyshire Wildlife Trust and Voluntary Action Sheffield.

They had some super keen folk who wanted to take up walking. So Mir organised some walks in nature reserves and the Peak District. She told us that these walks would “help build on their confidence and enthusiasm to hopefully start up their own walking group. Being able to access some more suitable outdoor clothing and equipment would make a huge difference.” But not everyone had the kit they needed.

Loving unloved kit again

Mir got in touch with us. She needed outdoor clothing and equipment. The sort of stuff that makes a real impact to getting people outside. That’s where the Continuum Project comes in.

We sent boxes and boxes of donated kit from the Continuum Project to our store in Hathersage. Armed with a list of shoe and coat sizes and loads of kit, we invited 11 participants to join us. They tried on walking boots, coats, jackets, and trousers. Then they tested it all out on a local walk.

Mir asked the group what they enjoyed the most about the day. Some said reaching the top of hills.

Others loved meeting new people. For some, it was interacting with nature, learning about the area, learning new skills and challenging themselves.

It was a fantastic day of feeling all the benefits of being outside. And it couldn’t have happened without your wonderful, generous donations. But getting outside is just the beginning! There’s so much more on the horizon for Peak District New Beginnings.

Winnie told us a bit more about it (she’s the Participation Coordinator for PDNB).

“We facilitate the engagement of refugees in nature for personal well-being, and for some to develop skills and leadership qualities that can lead to employment, particularly in the environment sector through our Sustain Nature project, so being able to bring people to this walk and provide more suitable outdoor clothing will make a massive difference for them. It will certainly enable them to get out into nature even more. We are incredibly grateful for the support.”

Peak District New Beginnings have already got plenty more adventures planned. We can’t wait to see what they get up to.