The women rolled up their trousers and stepped into the sea with bare feet - enjoying the water - and though they didn’t go fully out to sea, I felt this simple moment brought joy.
Gulden manages our Social Prescribing and Outreach service in Hackney. During the summer she tries to help women from the Turkish and Kurdish communities in the area to overcome feelings of isolation and build their confidence through fun days out together. All of the women are over 50 and the friendships they form help create a sense of belonging they can take back into their daily lives.
I realised that the outing would play an important role in helping them build confidence and independence when navigating public transport and travelling outside of Hackney in future.
Many of the women shared that although they had lived in the UK for decades, language barriers and changing family circumstances had left them feeling less connected and lacking confidence to explore beyond their local area.
We had to reassure one lady who said that she can’t travel by herself on the tube or any kind of train, and wanted us to be near to her, and others said they were worried about the tube, but they were also willing to learn.
When we arrived in Brighton, we found it was only ten minutes to beach, so we found a spot and enjoyed stone collecting and painting, walking along the promenade and visiting the pier.
Many became quite emotional, as they said the experience brought back strong memories of Turkey – the sea air, the breeze, and the slower pace of life. One of the women said she would return with her daughter and granddaughters, and they all said that they felt freer and happier.
It makes sense as the sea is a really important part of Turkish and Kurdish people’s lives, and a lot of people felt they had lost that moving to the UK.
We treated them with fish and chips, and they really loved that. It’s interesting as I don’t think any of the ladies would order fish and chips ordinarily – they would order more traditional Turkish food – but they loved the fish!
They really didn’t want to leave, so it wasn’t until nearly 8pm that we got the train back to London, and by the time I got home it was 10.30pm. I was tired but I was happy.
This trip offered more than just a day out, it helped the women reconnect with their emotions, brought back happy memories and gave them a sense of calm, happiness, and connection.