The weekend of Friday 18th – Sunday 20th July 2025 saw at Malham Youth Hostel with the Sheffield & District African-Caribbean Community Association (SADACCA) Women’s Health Group some with mobility problems enjoy a memorable experience at Yorkshire Dales National Park, visiting Malham Cove.
The residential was made possible by Debbie North, Access the Dales and Cabinet Office Disability & Access Ambassador for the Countryside. The Sheffield Environmental Movement (SEM) took 19 members of the SADACCA women’s group for an inclusive and enriching 2-night experience in the Yorkshire Dales that fosters outdoor confidence, building connection with nature, and raising awareness of accessibility through the work of Access the Dales. The weekend provided a remarkable and unique experience for people with mobility problems to access a national park such as the Yorkshire Dales National Park and to visit the spectacular Malham Cove which has a lot of history, where the Harry Potter film was shot. It was the first time the women have been to the Yorkshire Dales despite living England for more 70 years. Malham has a unique history that the women learnt for example, John Dower 1900- 1947, the Civil Servant/Architect who in 1945 whilst living in Malhamdale wrote the seminal Report that created National Parks in England & Wales
According to Debbie North, Access the Dales is a unique charity that supports people with mobility problems who might have been active all their lives to re-live those memories that they once enjoyed when they were able bodied or young. It allows them use wheelchairs and mobility scooters designed and built specifically to access in accessible landscapes in national parks.
Through the use of these different wheelchairs and scooters helps facilitate access for people mobility problems who otherwise wouldn’t have this opportunity, thus viewing these as only spaces for certain class of people. She said Access the Dales thus supports those who do not know how to access these spaces to become supported to go on walks in the fells and landscapes. Debbie said carers and young carers from marginalised communities are not able to go out to benefit from the outdoors due to lack of access to facilities and the required equipment. It is therefore about working to reach out to these marginalised and invisible groups to open doors for those who do not know or have the equipment to access these spaces, for example, people suffering from any form of disability due to an accident or illness leading to them losing their mobility. She noted that people who once were active in the outdoors but now suffer with dementia or any form of disability are able to re-live those years of walking memories. Maxwell A. Ayamba BEM, CEO noted that the challenge for SEM and Access the Dales is spreading the word widely for people who have no knowledge or information to benefit from these opportunities in other for everyone dealing with adversity to enjoy the countryside. He stressed that SEM and Access the Dales are partnering to provide support to “invisible”groups such minoritised communities with mobility problems to have the opportunity to access spaces such as national parks which are considered among certain class of people as the reserve for the able bodied. Maxwell said meeting Debbie last year was a blessing as it has created the door for SEM and Access the Dales to form a formidable partnership that would help promote access everyone irrespective of ability and class but concluded it also highlights the intersectionality between ‘race ‘ and disability.