<![CDATA[Big Leaf Foundation - Blog]]>Tue, 05 May 2026 16:55:04 +0000Weebly<![CDATA[Big Leaf welcomes a new Chair of Trustees]]>Tue, 10 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.bigleaffoundation.org.uk/blog/big-leaf-welcomes-a-new-chair-of-trusteesFollowing eight years and three full terms as Chair, our co-founder Vicki is stepping down from the board of trustees. Over that time, the organisation has grown from a single summer camp into a community supporting more than 200 displaced young people each year.

So much has changed in that time, but the determination and love on which Big Leaf was built remains foundational to all of our work.

Vicki will remain part of the Big Leaf team, working alongside Kayte, our brilliant staff, volunteers, trustees and the young people who shape everything we do.

She will be succeeded by Sally, who joined the board in January 2025 and has been Vice Chair since October.

​In this Q&A, Vicki and Sally share their thoughts on how Big Leaf has grown and what comes next.

From first summer camp to community

Vicki reflects on her time as Chair.
Q: Looking back over eight years as Chair, what feels most significant?
A: It’s difficult to put the last eight years into words, but I’m proud that we started the organisation from nothing… just the knowledge that there were young people in our community that needed support and an idea about the kind of support we could offer. We took this simple idea and built an organisation that now has a team of seven incredible staff, a knowledgeable and committed board of trustees, and an incredible network of community partners.

Over the last 8 years more than 700 young people have come through our doors… that’s 700 young people who wouldn’t otherwise have had that support, the opportunities to learn, to be welcomed and to have a Big Leaf community around them as they try to find their feet here.

Being part of that both as co-founder, working with the young people and team, and as Chair of trustees working at a governance level has meant wearing multiple hats which hasn’t been easy. But it also gives me a massive sense of pride in everything we have achieved together.

Q: What’s changed and what has stayed the same?
A: We’ve been reflecting on this quite a lot recently, particularly in the context of what feels difficult right now. When Kayte and I first met and ran our first summer camp (in 2017) it wasn’t long after the refugee crisis had started to hit the news and there was widespread compassion and a real drive within communities to help.

Communities saw what was happening and wanted to welcome people who were escaping unimaginable horrors in their own countries. Governments set up safe routes and resettlement schemes.

It felt like a huge wave of compassion and determination sweeping through… which laid the foundations for lots of small community organisations to spring up and work together to welcome people seeking asylum here…

…and in some ways, this has remained the same. The community around us is as brilliant and determined and supportive as ever. But in other respects, it has changed massively, with the closure of resettlement schemes, the removal of safe routes, and the creation of policies that strip away fundamental rights for people seeking asylum in this country.

We’ve seen anti-immigrant sentiments expressed by successive governments and in the media which has sown seeds of hate and division… and it’s been going on for so long now that it has started to take root.

We’re now operating in a space where there’s a lot of hate, there’s a lot of mis- and disinformation, and often a direct targeting of displaced communities and those that support them.

It’s harder for us as a team… and it’s harder for the young people we support to feel safe within their communities.

But we are as determined as ever… and the support from our partners, our funders, our volunteers has remained absolutely intact and it’s this that keeps me hopeful.

Q: What’s been the hardest part of leading from this position?
A: I feel a bit uncomfortable with the word leading in this context because I think it introduces a concept of hierarchy. For me it’s more about collective responsibility and collective action.

I hope that what I have done is create the space and provide support for others to lead - whether that’s the young people, the team or the volunteers. It’s about recognising and trusting the incredible knowledge and experience and passion within our community and giving people the support they need to do their jobs and to lead well.

But to answer the question… one of the hardest things over the last 8 years has been wearing multiple hats and setting boundaries around hours. I think if you’re passionate about something you’re always going to give more time than you have… and this is common in the charity sector. People go above and beyond and we all have to be mindful of burnout and self-care.

But it’s also been really hard to see how the world around us has changed and to know that we’re in a position now where people working in the refugee sector face threats and intimidation because of their work… and as for the constant onslaught of hostile asylum policies and negative language directed at people seeking asylum from both governments and media… well… that’s a whole other piece to be written another day.

It’s a lot to hold. But I have never felt alone in this space and that is something I’m incredibly grateful for.

I hope that our brilliant incoming chair, Sally, also feels that same support… knowing that we are a team and a community, that we all support each other and will always do our absolute best for the young people we work alongside.

Carrying the work forward

As Sally steps into the role, she reflects on what she wants to carry forward.
Q: What drew you to Big Leaf and what stood out to you about its way of working?
A: Once you see Big Leaf in action, you can’t resist getting involved. I’ve worked in the charity sector for years, but I wanted to be part of an organisation that worked in Surrey where I live, and was thrilled to join Big Leaf as a trustee.
For me, the joy, hope and positivity of Big Leaf’s work is a big thing that sets us apart. Many of our young people have been through and continue to experience really tough times, but if you come to a Big Leaf session you’ll see laughter and friendship alongside practical help and skills development.

Big Leaf believes in the potential of every young person we work with. It runs through every part of our work, whether that’s playing football, making music or through casework. All the programmes are about building pathways for young people to reach that potential, and the support and connections needed along the way.

The young people Big Leaf works with face many challenges and generally don’t have the networks of family and friends to help them along. At Big Leaf, young people are met with the belief that they’ll learn, participate and contribute. Through that belief in them, you see young people building belief in themselves. Big Leaf really listens to what young people are struggling with and their ideas for how things could be better, and that shapes our future work.

Q: What does being Chair mean to you in practice, and how do you see the role of trustees in supporting the team and young people?
A: I’m proud to be part of such a needed and impressive organisation, and honoured to be part of its future. The world we’re working in is changing pretty rapidly, and that means we need to be flexible about how we work while holding on to our core beliefs.

The skills we’ve got in the staff and trustee team are extraordinary. I’m constantly impressed by the commitment everyone brings and their willingness to listen so that Big Leaf’s work reflects the best of us all. Even in the past year it’s been wonderful to see what we’ve achieved behind the scenes, building resilience for the future in our systems and finances.

Our staff team and the young people are the experts in the day to day work. The trustee board supports that by helping make the organisation more resilient, little by little, so it becomes easier and less exhausting to do the work that young people value.

We can’t do that job well if we only experience Big Leaf through trustee meetings. Part of our role is to see and feel what makes Big Leaf special from the perspective of young people and staff. We make better decisions if we bring all those perspectives into the discussion.

I want to be a support to our co-founders Kayte and Vicki and to the staff team, and make sure the trustee board provides the support and challenge that continues to strengthen the organisation for the future. We also have a role as allies, advocates and cheerleaders for Big Leaf and for the young people we support, bringing our different networks and experience to amplify the work.

Q: What excites you about this next chapter, and what would you like the Big Leaf community to know about how you intend to lead?
A: We’ve got some really exciting new work in our care leavers and peer casework projects, which will help us support young people in different ways, and I can’t wait to see how they establish over time.

I’m excited to see the progress of the young people we work with as individuals. It was wonderful to see our Young Leaders graduate last weekend. Speaking about your experiences to a room full of people is scary at the best of times, let alone in a language you’re still learning, so I’m in awe of their achievements and can’t wait to see what they do next.

Some of our young people have faced very difficult and scary experiences in the last few weeks, and I’ve been inspired to see Big Leaf stand strong by their sides and activate a powerful coalition of partners working together to support them. I hope that’s not something to repeat, but it’s a reminder of what we can achieve when we need to, and how much it matters that Big Leaf exists.

I’ll only ever be one part of leading Big Leaf. There is brilliant leadership at all levels from the trustees to staff and to our amazing young people taking on young leader, peer caseworker and ambassador roles. I certainly don't have all the answers, but between us we do. I hope to continue fostering Big Leaf's wonderful culture of basing decisions on the skills and insights we can all bring, as we challenge ourselves to keep improving.
]]><![CDATA[Summer Activity Camp at St George’s Weybridge]]>Fri, 26 Aug 2022 16:06:23 GMThttps://www.bigleaffoundation.org.uk/blog/summer-activity-camp-at-st-georges-weybridgeWhen you are stuck in an asylum hotel, with limited transport to local towns, and very little to do, the summer holiday period does not often represent fun, relaxation and the break from routine that it means to so many of us. Instead, this can be a time of boredom, isolation and therefore anxiety, loneliness and despair.
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This is something Big Leaf tries to alleviate for all the young people we support, and we could not have been more delighted to receive an invitation from St George’s College in Weybridge: a three day summer activity camp for 18 young people living in a hotel, hosted by their ever brilliant Kennedy Club, and the wonderful team of supporting staff.
We have been fortunate enough to get to know the sixth formers in the Kennedy Club at St George’s College over the past half year,  due to their weekly evening of board games and sports with a group of young displaced Afghans, and we knew already how open-hearted, generous and determined they are.

And of course they had it in hand from the start. Their guests were greeted on arrival by a huge and colourful poster of welcome, with messages witten in Arabic, Spanish, Kurdish, Russian, Ukrainian, Pashto and Farsi - it must have taken them hours. And of course it did wonders to break the ice. But so did the friendly hospitality which seems to come so naturally to them - within ten minutes the whole group were off on a scavenger hunt in teams around the grounds and looking as though they’d known each other forever.

This warmth between these two groups, with all their different life experiences and situations, continued for the 3 days.  Volleyball was the definite hit of the week, and on court, any differences between them simply dissipated, leaving behind exactly what it should be - a group of teenagers, having a lot of fun.
I can’t remember a single moment when someone wasn’t laughing. Whether they were baking fairy cakes, doing some street art, trying out different sports, there was always loud, joyful laughter.

And nobody sat alone. Not once.  Lunches and breaks were taken together - conversations about shopping and football, music and politics were all undertaken with real interest and respect.

For me, it was the Tuesday afternoon though.  

On the hottest day of the year, somehow the St George’s team had managed to find two water slides. Half the group had never seen such a thing. One whispered to me that she didn’t think she’d be able to do it and asked “Is it allowed? Can I do it? ” reflecting experience in a part of the world where girls have less freedom. I looked up less than two minutes later to see her sprinting towards the slide, hand in hand with C from St Georges, with both girls screaming and hooting and they hurtled along on their stomachs.

That evening, K messaged from his hotel room. “THAT was the very best day of my life”. And then he added  “I felt alive again. With friends”.

We’ve said this before our with Music Connects project, but the fact that older teenagers arriving in the UK are often unable to meet their peers in a safe and supported environment is a travesty. It leads to division, pure and simple - because even if this division does not necessarily breed hostility, it cannot lead to connected communities later down the line.  To  create opportunities for these young people to get to know each other with mutual trust, with appreciation of their different circumstances and with understanding of what brought them into their shared community is a very good thing. And it really isn’t difficult. Because they, better than any of us, know how to do it, and they, better than any of us, will get on and do it.

When I asked one member of the Kennedy Club what they felt they had done to make it such a success she looked surprised. “It’s not hard.  They’re all so lovely. We’ve had the best time together. I’m not sure we had to “do” anything.  We just got on with it, really.”.

We are so grateful to the team at St George’s College.  To Jon Carr, for getting the ball rolling with his unflappable calm. To all the staff who gave up their days off to come and help. To the catering department for the fabulous meals and the welcome behind the serving dishes. 

But most of all, of course, to the members of the Kennedy Club, and to those who have recently joined us here in Surrey - for your  energy, your  acceptance, your  irrepressible enthusiasm and your ability to find joy in everything you did.
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We learned so much, thanks to you.
]]><![CDATA[Music Connects in Herefordshire]]>Thu, 26 May 2022 13:28:22 GMThttps://www.bigleaffoundation.org.uk/blog/music-connects-in-herefordshireWe have just returned from our second Music Connects residential, a weekend at Jamie's Farm in the hills of Herefordshire.

Music Connects is a project that brings young people from all backgrounds together to create an original piece of music. Half our participants have lived mostly or entirely in the UK and have English as a native language; half have been displaced from their homes and are starting new lives here.

We can't say it enough - this is not a project where one group is asked along to "help" the other. Indeed, we work very hard to take the division away as soon as possible. The challenge here is for everyone to find a way to use the different languages, life experiences and cultural backgrounds to come together and create a song with music, lyrics and instruments to reflect every person present. And bearing in mind that we had people from 8 very different countries this time, and with all the languages between them, that was no small feat.
Music needs connection - nothing can be done without first building a sense of trust and friendship, and Jamie’s Farm is the perfect place to do this. Life in this beautiful farmhouse anchors itself around the kitchen, with the constant buzz of Jamie’s team cooking meals, the baking bread, and the singing, singing, singing of the team and the birds outside. H said "It was like walking into a Disney movie."

There is a huge kitchen table with laden fruit bowls and benches that chase away any sense of separation by requiring people to budge up. And when we arrived, the fabulous Surrey Arts team had already set up the adjacent barn to look like a professional music studio, and there we had it - a home, a studio and wildlife in between. There couldn't be a much better setting for a new song.

Of course, we started the weekend with a group who didn't know each other, and this quite naturally brings with it nerves, self-consciousness and underlying apprehension. However, first thing in the morning, Chris took us out on the farm rounds. Suddenly, everyone was dressed in the same blue overalls and green wellies and leaning over the pens bottle feeding the lambs. And the reaction to that is the same wherever you are from - one long, hushed "Awww." Similarly, the amusement at having your boots nibbled by the piglets, the excitement at finding eggs, the hilarity at R's dramatic consternation over a salad leaf in the kitchen garden, which he insisted set his mouth on fire - all of this was something to be shared, and by the time we got back for breakfast, it did seem like one happily bonding group.

And so it continued. At no point did we ever feel any division, from the different activities set by Surrey Arts to being stretched out on picnic blankets later in the afternoon piecing together thoughts that were to become our lyrics. There was ongoing enthusiasm to learn words in other languages, fascination over different songs and music styles and how well these can jam together, and a demonstration of mutual respect, interest and compassion which did not dissipate. We jammed around the fire in the evening, with Georgian folk singing, blues from the American South, traditional songs from Kurdistan, and utter joy.

And yes, we have a song. Yes, it reflects the thoughts and ideas of everyone present. Everyone can sing it, and everyone is proud of it. Our next step is to bring back participants from previous Music Connects projects and teach it to them before taking it to Union Chapel in June. Of course, there are nerves about this (it IS Union Chapel, after all), but even so, this project is not about producing a final, perfect piece. It's about the journey we take to get there and our connection within it.

We could not have done this weekend without the enduring brilliance, compassion and energy of the Surrey Arts team, and particularly Jim, our cornerstone of Music Connects. And likewise, Laura, Sam, Chris and Ella at Jamie’s Farm, with their magically musical kitchen and all the birds and animals surrounding it. But nothing would have happened without this group of fabulous young people from all different countries. This world could learn so much from them and the song they have created together, and it was nothing short of a privilege to have them on board.

That music can act as a temporary "home" is well known, and this weekend, the home was in our song, in the physical location of this beautiful farm and in the friendships we found while we were there. And that is what this project is all about. Thank you, all of you.

We were so proud of the last two songs, Remember Who You Are and Colour and Life, and cannot wait to share our latest piece. You can read more about earlier projects here.  ​
]]><![CDATA[Music Connects Residential]]>Mon, 20 Dec 2021 13:32:42 GMThttps://www.bigleaffoundation.org.uk/blog/music-connects-residentialThe power of music to unite people over a backdrop of difference is no secret. And as one of our core aims at Big Leaf is to create bridges between communities who otherwise rarely meet, music as the channel for this seemed an obvious choice.

In March this year, we recorded our first song Remember Who You Are. The track was written and rehearsed on Zoom during lockdown by young musicians of different linguistic and cultural backgrounds, all living in Surrey.  Their talent, their willingness to embrace music of all styles and their courage to go beyond what was comfortable for them impressed us beyond words. 'Remember Who You Are' showed us just what can be done when you take a group of diverse young people and hand them the reins.

This October, building on this, we hosted our first Music Connects residential, in collaboration with our good friends at Surrey Arts. 
We were delighted to be awarded a grant from Youth Music in order to continue this idea.  This time, we wanted to ensure that everyone would be able to attend every session and not be prevented by sudden changes in living arrangements or lack of transport options. And so we decided this time to hold a residential hosted by the wonderful Surrey Outdoor Learning and Development in the Surrey Hills.

This meant we were asking 14 young people, half of whom were born and raised in the UK and half of whom had only recently arrived, to live together for three days, and navigate the differences of language, cultural and life experience in order to write a song, to be recorded the following week.

At the beginning it was daunting. On arrival the group were silent, clearly apprehensive and unsure of why we were there - understandably too. And so we went straight to some outdoor activities designed to break the ice. 

Leading each other blindfolded around a low ropes course, paired into different nationalities with strict instructions only to use their native language, the shyness soon turned to shouts of laughter. Yells of “Stop!”, “Turn right” and “Well done” came in Amharic, Arabic, Sorani and Tigrinya. 

K said, with some surprise, “They are kind to me and try to speak my language”.  H was delighted -  “I’m  saying “Stop” in Amharic and “Well done” in Kurdish!”. And later, finding all the girls locked enthusiastically into a game of Hungry Hippos, with H determinedly learning her numbers from her highly amused teachers, we could see how the divisions were beginning to fade.

By the afternoon, it felt like everyone knew each other.  And it was this that underlined what we had wanted to say with this project.  If you give people the space to get to know those they would otherwise never have met, good things can come of it.  And there’s nothing like living together for three days on the top of a hill to create that space..

Of course, from the outside, a music project in such a diverse group could look one-sided. Much of it was done in English. Our Surrey young people were already accomplished instrumentalists - brilliant musicians with plenty of formal training and experience behind them.  Our Big Leaf participants have not had these opportunities.  One participant shrewdly noticed that one half of the group turned up with suitcases, and the other sharing small backpacks, or carrier bags.

But it was not a one way street. The Big Leaf group brought with them a genuine love of music and a wealth of songs, melodies and beats from different parts of the world, meaning that the young people from Surrey had to work with new instruments, different music styles, and utterly unfamiliar pitch and rhythm.  As our great friend Darren Abrahams from The Human Hive always says, “It's 'with' not 'for'”. And here no one was working for anyone else; this was not a project so that English people could “help refugees” - it was level ground, on which we could all work with each other with one shared objective.  And for displaced young people especially, this level ground with their peers can be hard to find.

But it was in place here.  By day 3, people were singing, playing and dancing together like they’d known each other forever, and meeting in the ACM studio just two days later felt like a reunion.  Interestingly, in feedback sessions afterwards, everyone mentioned that they had made new friends. 

The song can be heard here.  They are singing in English and Sorani with some Arabic and Amharic thrown in. 

But we would like to finish with an observation from H, speaking with so much passion and conviction alongside our team at the Music Mark National Conference in December.

“I’ve been in lots of  musical groups and there are so many opportunities out there for me, with my background in Western music. But what about other styles of music?  If I wanted to play non-Western music, where can I go? If someone doesn’t play the flute or violin, but something else, what is out there for them? Because music should be for everyone. Everyone.”

We are so proud of the song that this brilliant group of young people has created, performed and recorded. It was wonderful to see the confidence with which they jumped up to play and sing at our Christmas party. You can stream the track now on Spotify and Soundcloud. And we are utterly excited to see what the next stage of Music Connects will bring in 2022.
With our heartfelt thanks to Jim, Joe, Liz, Orli, Sara and Quincy for your leadership, compassion and creativity; to Surrey Arts, SOLD and ACM for your ongoing empathy, understanding and kindness; to Youth Music for making this possible, and above all to every one of the brilliant young people who took part.  Thank you for your generosity, your sensitivity and your love of shared music. 

The future of this world seems so much better for having you in it.
]]><![CDATA[ISpeak Football]]>Tue, 14 Dec 2021 16:44:05 GMThttps://www.bigleaffoundation.org.uk/blog/ispeak-footballIn partnership with Djibril Ayofe and Chelsea FC Foundation, Big Leaf Foundation ran a three day football project called ISpeak Football in the October half-term.
Football is an essential part of Big Leaf’s provision. For the young people we work with, football is a chance to play, exercise, develop their skills and make new friends. It represents a common language with mutual understanding and respect between players. We have experienced the hugely positive effect that football can have on the well-being of our beneficiaries.
This October, in collaboration with Chelsea FC Foundation and Djibril Ayofe - one of the creators of the ISpeak Football programme - we ran a three-day programme focused on developing English language and football skills. The days began in the classroom, with participants learning football terminologies and phrases to use on the pitch before training sessions and matches. 

'I heard about the English and Football project from Ben. The reason I decided to attend the event was because it was half-term, to develop my English and also to meet people from other places.'

As I expected it, it was [a] really good time. It was a positive time I had there. When I went the first day we learned about a lot of vocabularies we use in English, so it was a very interesting session. I would like to participate again in the future.'

We developed this project in response to research showing that mainstream education can often be inaccessible to young people whose first language is not English and who suffer from depression or trauma. As we all know, it is much easier to learn something when we are engaged with the subject matter, and the combination of language lessons and football sessions proved to be very effective. 
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'It was so nice, I liked it and I love football so much. I wish the week never ended' S - participant.

A & S attended the sessions from the first day and had a slightly higher language level than others. They had both previously been attending our weekly football sessions. Still, we were able to learn during the course that A is interested in pursuing a career in football, which allowed us to start focusing on progression routes for him, including undertaking the FA Playmaker Certificate with the assistance of one of our volunteers who has completed the course. S also benefited as he seemed more proactive in attending football sessions and taking the lead in bringing more participants to play. Due to his obvious talent, we have now managed to refer him to the Redhill Under 18s team, where fellow ISpeak participants A and I are currently playing. He now feels more settled and included within his local community. 

We had a fantastic time and hope to run another project in the Easter holidays. If you know a young person who might want to attend, please get in touch with Ben at sport@bigleaffoundation.org.uk 
]]><![CDATA[Living Safely | Understanding Rights & Responsibilities in the UK]]>Mon, 13 Sep 2021 11:31:08 GMThttps://www.bigleaffoundation.org.uk/blog/living-safely-understanding-rights-responsibilities-in-the-ukBig Leaf Foundation, in partnership with Surrey University, Lawyers Against Poverty and Surrey Police, ran a session for local displaced young people to increase their understanding of crime, legal process and law enforcement in the UK and build greater trust in the police by providing an opportunity to meet officers face to face in an informal, non-challenging setting.
Our core aim is to support displaced young people soon after their arrival in Surrey - to help them find confidence and hope in a safe, meaningful and happy future. We want to combat the social isolation that so many of these young people experience and create opportunities for them to build their own positive outcomes. Living safely is an integral part of this...
Our projects give us the chance to get to know each young person as an individual and understand how they’re managing in their new environment. It’s through this that we come to recognise the aspects of their experience here that cause anxiety, fear and distress.  A major daily stressor, expressed by nearly everyone we support, stems from traumatic experiences of law enforcement and, in particular, policing. 

Before arriving here, experiences of law enforcement can be brutal. Immediate imprisonment without trial, violence or torture, bribery and racial harassment by people in uniform are not uncommon. Use of batons, dogs and pava spray in, say, Calais can be harsh and often seen as a kind of “European experience”.  As a result, many displaced young people arrive here with poor understanding of their rights and responsibilities within the UK legal process, and a genuine fear of the police. Many describe feeling stress and upset at the sound of sirens and seeing uniformed officers in public, and worrying about surveillance by a hostile “secret police”. 

During a 2018 research session with 45 displaced young people in a local FE college, 43 said they would not go to the police for help under any circumstances. When asked if they would report a crime, 40 said they definitely wouldn’t and 5 said they probably wouldn’t -  for fear of being accused or beaten themselves. 39 said that if a police officer ever asked to speak to them they would immediately run away. Clearly, none of this is ideal for anyone and we wanted to address it.

As part of our Summer Programme, we ran a full day workshop - hosted by the Widening Participation and Outreach team at Surrey University and supported by the School of Law, Lawyers Against Poverty and Surrey Police - focusing on law and law enforcement in the UK, creating a space for positive interactions with police officers and lawyers, and building understanding and confidence in UK law. 

Most of the young people were initially wary. M asked if the police would take photos of them. K stood a good way off from the breakfast table and asked where their guns were. He was almost suspicious to hear that no one in the room had a gun on them. “How do they shoot people then?” he asked. “How do they shoot us with no gun?”

Our first activity was about introducing yourself in 30 second bursts in two revolving lines, with everyone speaking at once. It was noisy and chaotic. But everyone joined in on an equal level and their wariness started to dissipate. As M strolled past after the activity he whispered “They are smiling. Like, friendly…”

Once in groups, we encouraged everyone to get to know the officer sitting with them at their table. “Ask anything you want” was the only direction and the questions came: “Why do you do this job?” “Do you like it?” “Do you like refugees?” and then, less formally, “Do you like football?” “Pizza?” and “Did you see India out for 78?! Very good!”

We wanted to avoid triggering past traumas.  So rather than come in full uniform, the officers brought their kit in bags, which were laid out on the table for everyone to touch. “Just don’t press the red button” Phil said, handing his radio to N, who immediately pretended to push it, and was delighted when Phil laughed. “In my country, police don’t like joke” he told us afterwards. Emmie told M he could try her uniform on if he liked, and once he was assured she meant it, there was no holding him or anyone else back from a half hour of enthusiastic dressing up.

L showed us a scar behind his ear, courtesy of a police beating back home. He picked up Laura’s baton and turned it over in his hands thoughtfully. “How many times they beat people?” he asked us, not wanting to put this directly to Laura. “I don’t beat people,” she answered. “Not in 20 years. I do sometimes use it for breaking windows.” L looked astonished. “It’s different. Very different”. The same question went round the other groups, with similar surprise at the answers. S once told us that police encounters at one stage of his journey involved “Mace for breakfast, mace for lunch, and mace for tea, with many beatings for snacks”. “It was like fun for them” he said “but for us it was very bad”. And though we were shocked to hear this, the rest of the group nodded in recognition. It’s hardly any wonder that when asked what they would do if a police officer wanted to speak to them on the street, most of them said “run”.

The different laws encountered when moving to another country can be a minefield for anyone, and so our second activity was to sort images into categories of “legal”, “illegal” and “it depends", and to discuss the possible consequences of being caught. It turned out that very few of us were clear on the law around cannabis or downloading certain materials; several thought protesting against the government could get you an immediate prison sentence; and everyone was surprised to learn that yes, it IS a criminal offence for someone to yell racial abuse at you (and you can and should report it). 

“We’re here to help you”, Dave stressed at the start of his presentation. “And so if you need help, you should come to us - we will listen.” Immediately the room relaxed, and question after question took the session well into the lunch break. Afterwards, a couple of boys went to tell Dave of their own experiences of hate crime, which they had until then simply accepted as part of UK life.

In the afternoon, Liz Williams and Dr Tehmina Khan from Lawyers Against Poverty and the School of Law took the room through the many stages of the legal process, culminating in a case study of a man who had shot someone dead in an attempt to protect his property. “Freedom? Or jail? What do YOU think should have happened?” Liz asked them, having shown them a reenactment of the crime. The cards held aloft in response showed a room evenly split between two judgements and energetic debate ensued.
The day ended on a wonderful high with a visit from the High Sheriff of Surrey, Dr Julie Llewellyn. The room was transfixed by her uniform and that she was the 800th High Sheriff ever, in a post dating back to 1066; there was equal delight at the idea that she was “helping the Queen” by attending the day. But it was her message to the room that had the biggest impact. “I’m here to say that YOU matter,” she said. “You are an inspiration. You are important.” This is exactly the message at the core of our ethos and to hear it spoken with conviction by someone outside of Big Leaf, and in such a position as High Sheriff, was truly powerful. It is not a message that these young people always hear and the silence in the room as it sank in was telling.

​Everyone was delighted to receive their certificates outlining their participation in the summer school and acknowledging so many achievements, (“It’s my first certificate! Where is frame?!”) and the cheerful buzz in the room at the end of the day as people took photos with the High Sheriff, the university team and the police officers was in complete contrast to the nervous quiet with which the day had started. And this says it all.
Picture of Inspector Dave Bentley, Borough Commander Surrey Police © Big Leaf Foundation
We know that the day itself was unique - this was somewhat uncharted ground for all of us.  We didn’t take it on lightly, and when misgivings were expressed ahead of time, we gave them serious consideration. We understand that our own experiences as UK citizens do not reflect those of refugee communities and so we were careful to speak at length to those with lived experience of displacement. We were clear that the point of the day was not to suggest that every British police officer is inherently “good” and every legal decision will be “fair”.  We understand that we can’t promise that the law or the police will always treat them well and indeed, we know several who have had terrible experiences. However, we do want them to know that they have as much right to police service and to legal process as anyone else. We want them to know that if they are treated badly, they have recourse to support. But we also want them to know that, as Dave said, there are plenty of decent police officers out there whose main aim is to keep everyone safe, and they don’t always need to be afraid.

​It’s clear that everyone involved in the day agreed on this - that a better understanding of your right to assistance, knowledge of how and when to ask for it and improved assurance of ethical and equal treatment, should go a long way towards building confidence that a safe and productive life is possible. And this is a good thing for everyone.
We couldn’t have done this without the generosity, openness and commitment of the Surrey police officers, both in the planning and the delivery of the day. Our biggest thanks to Inspector Dave Bentley, Sgt Emmie Harris, PC Phil Jebb, PC Laura Magdwick-Smith and PCSO Dublin-Cumberbatch for their support, compassion and humour throughout the day.  It made such a difference and we are so grateful. 

And also to Liz Williams, Director of Clinical Legal Education, and Dr Tehmina Khan from the School of Law and Lawyers Against Poverty for joining us for the entire day and leading the legal confidence session with such empathy and cheerfulness. 

Thanks as well to Rob, Katy and the brilliant student ambassadors from Surrey University WPO team for being such calm and excellent hosts.  

Our gratitude also to Dr Llewellyn, the High Sheriff of Surrey, for understanding exactly what it is these young people need to hear and for delivering that message with such impact.

And finally of course thanks to all the young people who trusted us enough to come along, and brought such energy and enthusiasm with them.

In the words of A, “At first, I was not sure, but in the end it was my best day. I am very happy.”
]]><![CDATA[Music Connects communities]]>Fri, 14 May 2021 12:25:45 GMThttps://www.bigleaffoundation.org.uk/blog/music-is-a-world-within-itself-with-a-language-we-all-understand"Music is a world within itself, with a language we all understand."
Stevie Wonder

2020 presented many challenges, not least the increase in isolation for young people already very much alone. But it also brought opportunities and the chance to think creatively about how to respond to the ever-changing situation.

One of the challenges that often presents itself is how to connect displaced young people with their new community. Separate ESOL classes, and the lack of family networks makes it hard to find avenues to meet and mix with local people of the same age.

We had been mulling this over for a while with our friends and partners at Surrey Arts, and two points became quite clear. Firstly, music is a great connector and connection was something we all needed after months of lockdowns and distancing. And secondly, since music is a language by itself, maybe we could stop thinking about linguistic and cultural barriers and see these differences as a bridge instead.

And so we created a new songwriting project bringing displaced and local teenagers together through a series of online sessions, culminating in a recording day at the Academy for Contemporary Music in Guildford.

You can listen to the final song now on on iTunes, Spotify or SoundCloud or read on below to find out more about this project >
We absolutely didn’t want this to be a project where one group came to “help” the other. We wanted to create equal footing from the start by discarding labels and embracing the seven different languages and the range of musical tastes and experiences within the group. We wanted to acknowledge the diversity and the commonality – and there was so much of both.

Together, and with support from The National Lottery Community Fund, the team ran a series of online workshops focused around songwriting, performing and recording. 

The first few sessions were all about building a sense of trust and community to create the sense of interconnection. Sharing favourite songs and examples of music and instruments from around the world cut through any shyness and feelings of self-consciousness in a group who’d never met before. Liz, Orli and Richard have so much experience in the field, which they blend with such compassion, creativity and sensitivity to everyone, that the sense of teamship was soon palpable.

And we had two professional musicians on board too. Singer-songwriter Chesney Hawkes joined us from his studio in LA, bringing his years of industry experience and a sense of warmth for everyone there which flooded from the screen. And our rapper - dj - producer Chimpo brought all his incredible array of talents across the board to each session, and didn’t stop smiling once. “Everyone is so kind to me” R told us after session 2, “...they all feel like my friends”.

With this atmosphere of trust and friendship, the actual writing of the song evolved naturally. We spoke of how the pandemic had brought us all together in a shared experience that has at times been difficult, lonely and anxious. From this came the idea to write about a different place – a place that is beautiful, peaceful and safe, and most importantly, somewhere you will not be alone. This also gave space to talk about other things - worries, identities, friendship and love - subjects everyone could recognise. And “remember who you are”, important for everyone, no matter what,  became a leitmotif of the song.

The track is now ready and we will launch it this weekend. And this incredible song, with all its showcase of talent, collaboration and inspiration, speaks more loudly and eloquently about the project than anything we could say.

With huge thanks to the National Lottery Community Fund for funding our Music Connects project, and to ACM, Chimpo, Chesney Hawkes, the brilliant Surrey Arts team and Ghaith, Rami and Raghad, our volunteer translators.

“It’s helped me gain so much more confidence, it’s such an amazing experience... it’s been absolutely amazing getting to know all of these different people that I otherwise probably would never have met.”
Music Connects participant

Check out our annual review for more about the Music Connects projects and to see what else we’ve been up to.

You can listen to the track from phase one now. Remember Who You Are was written and performed by young people during phase one of the Music Connects programme and is now available to stream on iTunes, Spotify or SoundCloud.
]]><![CDATA[Jamie's Farm | Big enjoy]]>Fri, 30 Oct 2020 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.bigleaffoundation.org.uk/blog/jamies-farm-big-enjoyWe’ve seen firsthand the impact of lockdown and COVID restrictions on young people trying to build a new life in the UK. The particular context of displacement means many have been disproportionately affected by the isolation and the lack of routine, exercise and meaningful face-to-face interactions with their peers and adults. Like most organisations working in this field, we have been especially concerned about increased reliance on online sources, and the long term impact on mental health of prolonged uncertainty and lack of hope. 

​The message from the team at Jamie’s Farm from the outset was that whatever happened, everyone would have a wonderful time. And yet, watching our group get off the coach on the first morning, bleary from the early start and hesitant about why they were there, we couldn’t be entirely sure it would be that easy. However, the team at Lewes are so adept at working with groups from all walks of life that camaraderie was built up in an instant and the sense of belonging to the team was embraced throughout. From the word go, there was no feeling of “them and us”, it was just “us”
We’ve already seen from our summer camps at Trill the many benefits life on a farm can bring. The chance to be fully occupied for an entire day, in a range of tasks, each one meaningful and useful to the farm; to be in the fresh air and with friends around you; and to share a purpose and feeling of achievement at the end - all of this stands in real contrast to life of remote learning alone in lockdown.  

The check-in sessions at the beginning and end of each day means that everyone has the chance for their voice to be heard. And it was here that we could really see the change in the confidence of our group; those who had shied away from having to speak out in English to a group of people they didn’t know on the first day, happily gave feedback on the last. The boost to self-esteem around the group by three days of working and mucking about together stood out to everyone.

And it wasn’t all physical work out in the elements. Liz ran songwriting and guitar workshops, focusing on themes of finding your feet in a new home. Torrential rain one afternoon meant that farm jobs turned into Barn Olympics. Welly wanging, wheelbarrow racing and egg-and-spoon drove competitiveness and hilarity skywards, and B told me that it was the first time in his life he had been able to play. “Big enjoy!” he grinned, before sacking me from his egg-and-spoon team for being slow, and dropping eggs. On the final day, a casual kickabout turned into a fully competitive game of welly football in the barn, with Bob the collie playing on both sides and not adhering to any rules. Sitting around the fire with hot chocolates after the game, laughing and shouting about who hadn’t won, it struck us that it couldn’t have been more different from the first morning when they all squatted quietly on the hay bales.

Jamie’s Farm promises individualised therapeutic support, particularly to address the many anxieties triggered by the pandemic, via a busy routine of purposeful activities. It promises to re-instil good habits, build teamwork and friendships, supply plenty of good food and a whole lot of fun, and it delivers on everything. For us, this meant quite simply, that on the final day nobody wanted to leave, and this is probably the very best accolade of all.

​Thank you to everyone at Jamie’s - Clare, Tim, Ed, Andi, Adele, Liz and Bob, we are delighted to have found you and will not be letting you go. Thank you to Lisa and Anna at Surrey Virtual School for their invaluable support in making sure this could happen in the first place, and for driving around Surrey at the crack of dawn making sure everyone got to the farm. And of course, to all our participants for their energy, humour, enthusiasm and hard work over the three days - you were all a joy to be with.
]]><![CDATA[Summer Hive School]]>Fri, 28 Aug 2020 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.bigleaffoundation.org.uk/blog/summer-hive-schoolIt has long been our aim to run a summer school to counter the effects of the long summer break. Anyone who has ever been in language teaching over the academic year will notice the slide when students come back having spoken their own language for the best part of 3 months. If you are living alone, reliant on your own culture for friendship and support, it’s even harder...
And one of the well-documented impacts of the COVID lockdown was lack of energy felt by so many people, whatever their background. To motivate yourself to study or work in the face of such uncertainty became increasingly difficult for many of us.

Which is why we felt the best way to re-engage our young people with their language journey, to consolidate their learning already achieved or, for those who arrived just before lockdown and had yet to start any kind of formal study, to jumpstart their English so they might hit the ground running in September, was to bring them back into the classroom.

The issue was we didn’t have a classroom. And the social distance guidelines of mixed household groups indoors would absolutely not facilitate us finding one.

Thank goodness then, for the Human Hive. Not only did they have a classroom to lend us (an inflatable dome which has travelled Europe providing classes for displaced people in France, Italy, the Balkans and Greece) but they also have Hive Learning, an adaptive education approach tailored for emergencies which focuses on learning through activity. We have worked with Darren on other projects and one conversation was enough to underline the fact that it was not only possible to activate our Summer Hive School idea but also important.

Teaching people in displacement requires particular thought. Unlike the language classrooms of universities, the students do not necessarily come with a background of formal education. An understanding of required behaviours and skills of studying, usually learned through time spent in school, are not always present. First language literacy cannot be assumed. Different life experiences will affect what sort of language has been learned, and how the person themselves feels about it. Native tongues can be remarkably unfamiliar even to those with a grasp of different modern languages, and cultural familiarity is often a long way off. And you must always be conscious of what else is present; life histories, personal struggles, uncertain living situations can all impact on anyone’s ability to focus and learn.

To us though, this is the best sort of language classroom in the world; the unpredictability of difference can be a joy; and results and achievements can leave you happily surprised. The problem we see time and time in again in formal education environments is not that they expect too much of these young people, but that they expect too little.

We did wonder about how it would work in what, effectively, was a tent in the middle of a field. But going with the Human Hive approach of activity based learning, we soon found the actual building of the classroom every morning brought about its own wealth of communication, teamwork and leadership skills - the pumping of inner tubes, hammering of pegs (we never once remembered the mallet and had to improvise every time, with surprising ideas, including a passing old man’s walking stick, and a builder’s boot).

With only ten days to use (and this was of course tailored to cost effectiveness), we devised a programme that would cover the main grammatical points for the general levels assigned by the colleges, but would be based around cultural literacy - relevant information for life in the UK, progression into education or employment, and space for questions and debate. In the afternoons, we planned different activities to take communication away from the camp chairs and clipboards, and sometimes with external activity providers too.

At times, it felt chaotic. Some days the heat was so intense, everyone was too tired to do more than clasp their water bottles. Other days, we had gales which blew away our cardboard whiteboards and threatened to take the classroom too. Then there was rain, which came in at a wicked angle to soak everyone no matter where they sat, and a thunderstorm, which startled everyone with the bangs and triggered memories of past experience. 

But the joy of language learning is that there is never an opportunity not to learn. Claps of thunder led to discussions about different words for sounds. The heat brought about a list of words to do with exhaustion, and the importance of knowing the difference between knackered and naked. Running for cover into the multi-storey provided excellent light opportunities for our visiting photographers Charlie and Austin, and gave us the chance to follow on from our morning readings on identity.

People in the park took an interest too. Some watched from a distance; others came to say hello. A couple of passing police officers stopped for a chat, and amazed the group with their amiability, creating space for a more positive conversation about policing in the UK, which is always useful. Catch 22 led an art session on self-introductions, and a garage band session on beats.

We have now packed up the classroom for the final time, and though we did at times miss the convenience of the web-connected whiteboard, and chairs which didn’t suddenly split in two, we found that there is actually much that can be learned even if you only have a field to learn in.

We are so grateful to everyone who donated to our crowdfunding campaign which enabled our Summer Hive School to happen. To Darren and Kate at the Human Hive for the classroom and all the encouragement. To the Virtual School, key workers and social workers for supporting young people to come, and to Elmbridge CAN for stepping in and ensuring the transport for one young person to be able to attend. To Catch 22, Charlie and Austin for running activities for us. And to our co-teacher Aga who joined forces with us once more to teach with her unfailing attention to detail, gentle persuasiveness and unflappability in the face of all surprises. It was a joy to be back in the classroom with you.

However, as ever, the real kudos goes to the participants themselves, who turned up every day and nearly always on time; who laughed when they had to chase lesson sheets across the park; who completed their homework and didn’t complain too much about the final test; who set up and set down, fetched and carried every day without fail, and who maintained a collective attitude of such upbeat positivity, even when grappling with the third conditional.

Thank you, everyone.
]]><![CDATA[Summer Activity Week 2020]]>Tue, 25 Aug 2020 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.bigleaffoundation.org.uk/blog/keep-talking-activity-week-2020Normally, at this time of year,  we would be in the thick of things at Trill Farm.  Our annual summer camp with Romy and our Trill family is a proper highlight, and the fact that this year coronavirus stopped any hope of us having a week away together caused heartfelt disappointment all round.  We tried everything to make it possible, and it simply wasn’t.

One thing the pandemic has shown us however is that it is still possible to think fast, think creatively and get things done...
Our Keep Talking project has enabled us to keep in online contact with a good number of the young people we would usually support face-to-face, and through this we have been able to see the impact of lockdown on a group who were already pretty isolated from their community, and who were having to navigate all the common anxieties brought about by the pandemic, in a second language and often without close support.

This is what brought us to this idea: if we could not go to Trill, then we should take as much as possible from our Trill experience, and bring it to us.

It was a Herculean task that fell almost single-handedly to Vicki, and namely to create and organise a week of activities which would remain true to our Trill outcomes: to be outside, and in company (and especially now, after so much time inside and alone); to create time and space to breathe; to boost language skills through participation in a range of different activities, which would reflect what we would usually be doing at Trill; to interact with the community about us; to eat well and to have fun.
Watch the video or read more below >
DAY ONE
We are lucky to have the Heart Centre just up the road, and having piloted our horse-assisted learning programme with Wendy and her team at the end of last year, we know a day here will match our outcomes brilliantly. 

Some of our young people are wary however and K asks us straight out why we want to spend time with horses. We suggest he finds one he likes and has a chat. “They don’t speak my language” he replies, in earshot of one of the Heart Centre team, who laughs and responds “I think you’ll find they do". K looks cynical, but wanders off into the stables and is soon chatting to Boris, in Pashto.

The morning is about choosing your horse, and learning how to build a sense of trust. “These horses are rescued,” Nancy explains “and so they can be nervous.  But don’t worry because they will tell you if they are not happy.” Choosing a horse takes time. Some feel an immediate affinity; two want to work with the horses they’d met on Stability. Some are too nervous to choose. “This horse hates me.” M says, pointing to Woody, who has flattened his ears and widened his eyes after M has bounded up to his stall with more arm-waving enthusiasm than Woody has felt necessary. “It’s not hate, it's fear” E tells him. "You are too noisy.” Minutes later, M is stroking Woody’s mane, and Woody, recognising that M's exuberance has eased off, lets him plait it.

Once the horses have been led out, offered hay and groomed, the air is calmer - even quiet. Even our most nervous participant has immersed himself in gently brushing away the dust.  Wendy takes everyone down to the school and shows them how to lead, and how to communicate instructions. “Don’t yank, push or threaten,” she reminds them. “You don’t like it; nor do they.”

In the afternoon, Wendy sets up the school for a range of challenges, which also involve getting into the saddle. The boys who have said “No no!” at the suggestion, have been empowered by lunch to change their minds. And so begins the task of convincing everyone of the necessity that is the hat and the back protector. “It’s the law!” we insist, again and again, “And your hair will be fine”. Fortunately, there are shouts of laughter at the sight of everyone else in such weird kit.  Some of the boys begin to talk excitedly about the Afghan sport of buzkashi, where teams on horseback compete fiercely to get a goat carcass into a goal. “Shall we do it?” B asks hopefully. We have to let him down gently. These horses aren’t used to buzkashi, we say, and we don’t have a goat carcass.

From here in, it is about teamwork - with your partner, with the group and particularly with your horse. “Don’t force, encourage!” Wendy tells A, who is sitting plaintively on Billy, who in turn is stubbornly refusing to move. “If they want to do it, they will. Get him to want to”. As we move into team races, Billy does indeed participate; however, he does not share the competitive spirit of his riders, and as he plods placidly in last place every time, A sighs, and pulls faces at the others laughing at him.

Day one has gone well. People in the group have got to know one another a bit more; some have had to face some very real nerves and overcome them. Others have found that an activity they had not expected to like was actually fun and they want to come back.

“Horses are clever” L says. “They can look inside of you. If you are scared of them, maybe they are scared of you. When you know each other, things get better.”  It strikes us all that this is a reflection of our times, and while we clean down we chat about why fear and hatred are so easily conflated. Once again, the interaction with the horses has created a bridge to our wider ecology and created a safer space for some difficult topics to be shared.

And everyone is delighted with their rosettes. 

​Thanks to Wendy and Nancy and the whole team at the Heart Centre for a fabulous day.  We shall see you soon for the launch of Stability, and we're all very excited about it.

DAY TWO
Today we are at SOLD - Surrey Outdoor Learning and Development centre in the hills just outside of Dorking.  We have been wanting to work with SOLD for a while but again the pandemic had put an end to our plans, until now.

Today will be of a different pace.  We  are focusing on skills which require the use of hands, attention to detail, and focus. The truly delightful thing is that not only do we have Akira, one of our excellent volunteers and Trill expert from 2 years back, but we also have Sam Mukemba, our wonderful friend and artist who is with us every year in Devon. We have our brilliant Summer School teacher Aga, who takes careful notes of all new language ready to create language sheets and homework for everyone. And we have SOLD’s Ben, who charms the group with the fact that he does not stop grinning for one second.

There are two challenges.  One is to design, create  and decorate a leather belt, which Sam charges them to keep “until they are old, old grandfathers”.  The other is to source, whittle and decorate a walking stick. Vicki takes this group off to look for hazel - big enough to last, strong enough not to snap, and easy enough to move safely from the tree. “But why do I need a walking stick?” H asks, puzzled. “Everyone needs a walking stick” Akira tells him. “But you could make one as a present?”  H then spends the next two hours carefully shaping and engraving one for his foster carer, and we are all delighted later to hear of his joy on receiving it. I have forgotten the pyrography machine, but one of the boys immediately shows us how they used to decorate sticks back home, by stripping back only certain sections of the bark, burning the wood in the fire, then removing the rest to reveal differently coloured wood.  Sam tells us to wrap wet string around them and hold them above the flames, to create patterns. Both options are much more suited to sitting about a fire, and it all feels rather fortuitous.

And we start with the leather too.  Sam reminds everyone that a belt is a thing of power, and of continuity.  “I change my clothes, all the time” he says “But I never change my belt”. The two who made theirs last year at Trill will make wallets. “I have nothing to put in it” M mentions, thoughtfully. “One day, when you have a job, it will be full” Sam tells him, which cheers him immensely.

In contrast to the constant movement of yesterday, today is remarkably more relaxed. People become absorbed in their work and to sit under the trees and focus on the intricate details of stamping and sewing leather, or sanding and carving wood, has the remarkable effect of apparently slowing down time. It’s during such times that we get to chat.  Akira is grilled mercilessly about his love life. Others talk about how the activity reminds them of home, and describe the places where they grew up. These can be painful conversations when information is demanded, but under the trees, with no pressure to speak and with hands busy, several recall the things that made them happy before. Weaving links back to positive memories from the past, with autonomy and at their own pace, can bring a sense of reconnection to the threads of their lives that have been lost, which not only gives space for us to bear witness to the complex stories being shared, but can be very grounding in the building of a new and hopeful narrative. 

Thanks to everyone at SOLD but especially to you Ben, for your unerring good humour, and the popcorn.
DAY THREE
Today we are at Rosamund Community Garden which is a beautiful space overlooking Guildford. At least, we tell everyone it is. The truth is, the only thing we can really see is rain, and buckets of it. Clare and John, from the Rosamund team, are disappointed but valiant. They rig up tarps under which  a mural can be painted on a shed, and anchor down gazebos over the picnic benches. But it really is torrential. The organic gardening projects are put aside; one team heads off to attempt the mural and Sam gets everyone else back to their leatherwork instead.  

And despite the relentless bashing by the rain and wind, everyone remains cheerful. Regular raids of the apple trees and raspberry bushes, a stash of biscuits and endless offerings of tea helps, as do our young volunteers, who find common interests in music, sport and all things teenage. In general, it can be hard for displaced young people to meet their peers in the local community.  If you are not in a school, then you are likely to be in ESOL courses and opportunities to run into the English-speaking students are scarce. This is a shame for both groups.  We set them all to barbecuing the chicken and prepping the salad and the flatbreads and they get on marvellously.

There are always things to laugh about but today’s highlight really is a sudden rip in the gazebo, through which the rainwater which has been quietly pooling above K’s head gushes down on top of her, and all inside her rain jacket. It doesn’t matter where you come from - the sight of someone being unexpectedly, disastrously drenched is hilarious in any language.

We will go back to Rosamund community garden. A more friendly, welcoming place is hard to imagine and despite the rain, everyone was taken with all the fruit and vegetables growing there. A even had his first ever raspberry.  The therapeutic benefits of time spent in a garden are well-documented and we see it every year at Trill. Our friendship here is just beginning but all of us feel there is a lot more that could be done together. We also need to finish the mural. And it would be good to prove that, when you are not in the midst of deluge, the garden really does offer an excellent view of Guildford.

Thank you so much Claire, John, Helen and team.  If you'll have us, (after our blatant ransacking of your fruit and veg beds), we'd love to come back.
DAY FOUR
We are back at SOLD and heading skywards. Today, everyone in is harnesses and hard hats, and challenged first with SOLD’s outdoor climbing wall.  Safety instructions in a mixed language group take longer; everything must be demonstrated and especially so with young people whose experience of danger and therefore tolerance of risk can be very different to what is perhaps typical here.  The SOLD staff are entirely patient and their confidence in the overall safety is so apparent that as a result, there seem to be no nerves in the group at all. At the wall, which up close seems impossibly tall, the BLF team are asked if we are going to do it too, and so we point sadly to our inappropriate footwear and feign disappointment.  Aga, who has perfect shoes on and therefore no excuse, at this point disappears to fetch something. 

And so they climb. Some race to the top of the wall and yell down that it is “easy”. Competition heats up. Aidan takes them to the most difficult part, where there is an overhang at the top and tells them his personal record is 40 seconds. M shoots up in 33 seconds flat. J and A race behind him in 36 and 39 seconds, with J complaining all the way that he lost the vital seconds because of his “bad shoes”. Aidan tells him that it is going to be an Olympic Sport, which makes us think we should look into more regular climbing opportunities for anyone who wants them.

The next activity involves a very high platform, a trapeze and a leap of faith. This takes teamwork - you must find a way to share the platform, bring your toes over the edge at the same time as your partner, and dive forward together.  If your partner is more nervous than you are, it is up to you to be the encouragement. On the ground, Aga  explains what we mean by a leap of faith -   “You just believe it’s going to be ok and jump”. H smiles somewhat ruefully and says this sounds like life. But he jumps, catches the bar and on his way down, takes up the instructor’s invitation to somersault in celebration.

The final activity involves balancing on the top of a very high and wobbling  pole with one other member of your bubble (social distancing can be done even up in the trees). Once there and balanced, you work together to undertake several challenges shouted up to you. The bonding experience of this sort of teamwork really takes hold and the group is mixing far more freely now.

Our final activity of the week is run by Jim and Sarah from Surrey Arts, our great friends and regular collaborators in all things musical. Jim has brought djembes, a loop pedal, a mic and a huge great speaker. Of course, the immediate temptation is to bash away as fast and as loudly as possibly but Jim is a hugely experienced workshop leader and very quickly brings everyone into a mutual rhythm. Some shy away from the mic initially, but most can be persuaded to make some kind of noise - a soundscape of the woods where we are. Two  perform entire raps, one in Hausa, one in Albanian and we can’t help wondering how often these Surrey trees have heard such a mix of linguistic, rhythmic and musical styles.

And that was the week. We have missed Trill desperately - the people, the place and the opportunities offered up by dint of having everyone under one roof. Bringing people from different parts of the county to different locations every day, with all the requirements of punctuality and attendance, is undeniably exhausting. But it has worked. And the pandemic has underlined that sometimes life will take a completely unexpected turn and you then need to think on your feet and respond in the best way you can. It would be shortsighted not to recognise the analogy in this.

Everyone at Big Leaf is now looking ahead to the next chapter.  

We are so grateful to all our supporters, without whom we could not have put this week together.  Thank you to you all, to our activity leaders, to SOLD, to the Heart Centre and all their horses, Claire and John at Rosamund, Jim and Sarah at Surrey Arts, and to Sam, Akira, Aga, Toby, Richard, Jaegs and Gio. However, thanks  most of all to all our young people who grasped every task with enthusiasm and good humour, even when soaking wet, and who got up on time, every single day.
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