Windrush women given chance to reconnect with farming roots at 161st Great Yorkshire Show
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Hide AdSome members of the group are originally from farming communities in the Caribbean and will visit the agricultural showcase in Harrogate for the first time next month.
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Hide AdThe women, all aged between 50 and 80-years-old, are part of the Sheffield and District African Caribbean Community Association (SADACCA) and despite having lived in Sheffield for several years, have not had the opportunity to visit the show before.
Their visit, on the show's opening day on Tuesday, July 9, is being made possible thanks to the Sheffield Environmental Movement (SEM) charity and its projects manager, Maxwell Ayamba.
Mr Ayamba said: “The group has often talked about attending the Show and now due to a monetary award from The Moor Pride in Sheffield Community Champions, we can fulfil that ambition.
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Hide Ad“It will be a wonderful experience which will help reconnect many of the members with their heritage. For a number of the group, moving to England detached them from their culture and rural roots, the Great Yorkshire Show is such a special event and a great way to bring back memories of their former life.
“We are all looking forward to watching the different classes and seeing the variety of livestock taking part as well as all the other really varied sections of the show.”
The visit is part of SEM’s work to raise awareness and help reconnect people from ethnic minorities to the countryside and rural activities.
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Hide Ad“It is difficult for many members of the Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic and Refugee (BAMER) communities to access rural events such as the Great Yorkshire Show,” Mr Ayamba said.
“We do run days out taking BME groups into the countryside to visit rural locations and working farms but we firmly believe visiting the Great Yorkshire Show will generate even more interest and encourage more visits to countryside events."
He said SEM was keen to develop links with environmental organisations in the region to promote what they do and also what they can offer BME communities in promoting access and participation in rural countryside events and activities.