Empowering Ethnic Minorities – Our Recent Residentials

June 9, 2026

Empowering Ethnic Minorities’ voices in National Parks residentials ends at Peak District National Park

 

 

Jamia Masjid Ghousua Boys Group walk at Winnats Pass, Castleton, Peak District National Park
Jamia Masjid Ghousua Boys Group walk at Winnats Pass, Castleton, Peak District National Park

As part of efforts to understand how people from minoritised communities can contribute ideas to help to re-imagine the future trajectory of English national parks, SEM successfully organised and delivered four residential weekends from May – June 2026 at the Hollowford Educational Centre, Peak District National Park and, one other residential weekend at the Sil, Northumberland National Park, October 2025.

SADACCA Women’s Group at Hadrian’s Wall Northumberland National Park
SADACCA Women’s Group at Hadrian’s Wall Northumberland National Park

 

In total, 121 participants, both young and old were involved, with participants sharing experiences about national parks and why they think these spaces are important to them for psychological, emotional, mental and, physical wellbeing, but also, as spaces to learn about the cultural history of the English landscape.

Sheffield College Students at the Hollowford Education Centre Residential Peak District National Park
Sheffield College Students at the Hollowford Education Centre Residential Peak District National Park

 

Dr Maxwell Ayamba BEM, SEM’s CEO explained that funding from Awards for All enabled SEM to successfully organise and deliver the residential weekends, capturing very important data. He noted that, created through the National Parks and Access to Countryside Act 1949 as part of the post-war reforms, national parks continue to serve as spaces for people to visit for leisure and recreation, but above all, offering therapeutic health benefits where people from cities such as Sheffield had the right to access nature.

Jamia Masjid Ghousua (JMG) group at Castleton

 

However, as Dr Ayamba noted, although a national park such as the Peak District National Park is only about 15 minutes away from Sheffield by public transport, it remains out of reach for some people, attributing this to a number of factors.

ROSHNI Women on a walk up Winnats Pass, Peak District National Park
ROSHNI Women on a walk up Winnats Pass, Peak District National Park

 

He added that SEM was also delighted to partner with the Campaign for National Parks (CNP) on its National Parks Reimagined project which aims to support the CNP’s ambition to enable landscape recovery, involving a diverse range of people in National Parks, create intergenerational leadership that would drive radical transformation in ambition, action, management and policy. Dr Ayamba quoted the CNP as saying, “National Parks Reimagined will bring together citizens and stakeholders to create, negotiate and build new pathways to the future, informing changes in policy to secure landscape transformation where people and nature can thrive”.​

Participants Reponses

Jamia Masjid Ghousua Girls Group talk about their residential experiences