Two Welcoming members build community in the great outdoors
Since last April, our community members Polly and Nataliia have been hard at work participating in the Ramblers’ Community Champions project designed to help people gain confidence and experience as leaders in the outdoors.
Our two community members are working toward becoming qualified to lead group walks for other people in their communities – largely those from refugee and global majority backgrounds. They are expecting to complete their training this March and officially be ready to introduce new, outdoor opportunities to their communities in Edinburgh and the rest of Scotland.
We are incredibly proud to say that Polly and Nataliia managed to lead a total of eight walks with 40 Welcoming community members participating – a massive achievement. In stunning locations like Cramond, the Dundas Estate, and Linlithgow, community members enjoyed new scenes and a break from the stressors of rebuilding lives and communities.
“It was a beautiful and wonderful program. We enjoyed the historical sites and the beauty of nature.”
“Thank you… for giving us such amazing opportunity to walk with beautiful people and discover new places and look forward for something new.”
We hope that Polly and Nataliia’s success as Community Champions will inspire others to participate, build peer support networks, and reduce isolation for other New Scots in Edinburgh.
Check out the Ramblers’ video on the project below!