In 2021:
Ethnic Minorities - not asylum seekers, not international students: people, just.
With the wonderful support from the Phoenix Trust, The Global Childrens Fund, Lotttery Fund, The African Health Policy Network, Barbour Foundation, the Bruce Wake Charitable Trust and many more, we have been able to support local minorities with Zoom support sessions, mental wellbeing projects, recording their amazing experiences during Covid-19 whilst living in Durham, and uncovering the all, crude reality of being an ethnic minority living in County Durham.
We have made the first ever report on this which was sent to the Phoenix Trust and, thanks to all these amazing organisations, we will still be here to record all that is done by these ethnic minorities, as part of local culture, heritage and identity.
Gardening and more Gardening:
As part of our work, dwelving into the world of heritage and identity, we invited many people to go green, go gardening.
We gave away dozens of packages, full up to the brim of goodies, to carers, to schools, to the New College, to allotments, the churches, you name it, we sent it!
Thank you to the marvellous Mid Durham AAP that has helped with the carers project and to the astonishing Durham County Carers, for the support, the Zoom sessions and for being there for us and for carers.
AND WE ARE HEADING TO 2022!!!!
2020:
March: we were born and were kicked by Covid-19 and the lockdown
May/August - We created a beautiful community project called 'Knitting Blankets of Rainbows for Better Days'. It involved around 200 people knitting and crocheting rainbows, joined later in blankets and auctioned, giving all the money to the NHS.
The wonderful Durham Area Action Partnership supported this project with a grant. THANK YOU DURHAM AAP!
September/October - we were concerned with the social exclusion and isolation felt by carers, so we have them boxes with tools, seeds and gardening items, to help them get a bit of 'me' time, fresh air and creating beautiful plants and flowers.
This time we had the support from the amazing Alpkit and Poundland! Thank you, without your grant we could not have done it
October/December: we are working on a survey to ascertain who uses the internet and doing what, and who doesn't and why. We aim to get results and data that may improve the online offers for those that already use the internet and help those that do not to get online and feel more included.
And for that, we have the outstanding support from Durham Councillors, Lesley Mavin, Richard Ormerod, Eric Mavin and David Freeman, as they are also worried about what people need, especially during Covid-19 restrictions. Thank you, you are an example to everybody!
And next?
Covid will tell!