Overview
The Suffolk & Essex Coast & Heaths National Landscape worked with Suffolk County Council and PHOEBE, the Ipswich-based charity advocating for black and ethnic minority women and children, to launch the Ambling African Women walking group, aiming to increase access to Suffolk’s countryside.
What was done
The new partnership aimed to support PHOEBE members to access the National Landscape for its health and wellbeing benefits and is part of the wider work by the Green Access and National Landscape teams to address inequalities in countryside access.
Founded by female Zimbabwean social workers in 2008, P.H.O.E.B.E (Promotion of Health, Opportunity, Equality, Benevolence and Empowerment) offers specialist domestic abuse advice, information, casework, advocacy and support and counselling services to black and ethnic minority women and children in Suffolk.
Several guided walks have taken place during 2023 in the National Landscape and wider Suffolk. Women from PHOEBE have also been trained as walk leaders so that they feel comfortable and confident in leading their own walks.
“We think it is amazing that PHOEBE has been included as pioneer, stakeholder in planning and delivering this exciting and enjoyable work in Suffolk. Our involvement has confirmed the many challenges that black women and children face in accessing landscape, including living in systemic poverty, working long hours with no time or funds for recreation. As a group, we have been able to overcome the transport barrier and have enjoyed the beautiful Suffolk countryside together. We want to extend our gratitude to David Falk, Green Access Manager and his team at Suffolk County Council, and Jenny Moss at the Suffolk & Essex Coast & Heaths National Landscape for reaching out to us and offering their support.”
Mollin Delve | Founder and CEO of PHOEBE