By Aisha Mirza
Mosaic Community Champion and Lake District Volunteer
I want you for just one moment, to take a walk on the wild side and venture into a world unknown. With open eyes, picture this: - Rocky mountains extending to the sky softened by clouds, gently sloping valleys that cradle magnificent lakes, green lush fields with rows of trees that dance in the breeze and open country side stretching as far as the eye can see. Now inhale a deep lung of clean fresh air, or feel the refreshing rain fall on your face. “Sounds like heaven,” I hear you say, makes you smile I see.
This world I describe is not that wild and not that unknown and is in fact the world of the National Parks. The breathing spaces of the UK recognised as the National Parks are still an unknown and undiscovered territory for too many of our ethnic community.
Seldom do we find aunty Rashida from next door saying “well I’m off for a boat trip across Coniston Water!” or hear your mate say “I’m hiking a peak today!”
Now don’t get me wrong I’m sure that a few of those that are reading this are nodding their head thinking, “I go out to the countryside all the time, I ramble, scramble, bike, hike, get down and dirty or have a stroll, go exploring, touring, have a picnic have a dip in the lake or just drive the country lanes.” However research has proved that ethnic minorities make up over 10% of people living in this country, but only 1% are visitors to the National Parks.
So I ask you put your hand up if you’ve been to a seaside resort? Everyone I suspect! Ok, ok most then! Please don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that seaside resorts aren’t fun with their novelty hats and flashy lights but we’ve all done it, we’ve all been there and we’ve all definitely worn the T-shirt!
When we are darting up and down the conventional, and many a time extremely tiring and busy motorway system- be it for work or pleasure- have we ever wondered about the fields and green spaces that flash by us? Have we ever wondered what’s over that hill, what’s just over that horizon? Well look no further.
View from the valley up to Helvellyn in the Lake District
I was introduced to the beauty and wonder of the National Parks through an innovative and exciting project called Mosaic and today I am your host Miss Community Champion. Let me be that bridge that you can walk upon to a new place of excitement, beauty and pleasure.
First the technical side! Mosaic aimed to build sustainable links between black and minority ethnic communities and the ten National Parks in England and the Youth Hostels Association, by recruiting influential leaders to promote the Parks and to help break down any barriers. In simple words for you and me, Community Champions engage with their local community and promote the National Parks so in turn this hopefully encourages more of us to go out to places like that!
Now pardon my English but it’s not about ‘them’ and ‘us’ and not for one instant am I advocating such a notion. I just for an instant want us to think about the heritage and the beauty this country of ours has and ask ourselves, how many times have we been to relish it?.
Now my job as a Community Champion is not to convert you but to give you a peek through the window, for you to look out of at the pure beauty that is just outside. The National Parks were created sixty years ago for the benefit of the public and it is important that everyone has an equal opportunity to choose to access and be inspired by the most spectacular landscapes.
The day I scaled the notorious Striding Edge and lived to tell the tale.
So what’s the catch? Well there just isn’t one. What you get, is what you will experience which is the most stunning and picturesque country side that believe it or not is right on your doorstep! The best thing of all is it doesn’t even have to cost and a fun family day out can be done on a shoestring budget!
The National Parks have so much on offer for the very young to the very old. Regardless of age or ability you are guaranteed an experience you will never forget. For the more adventurous: canoeing, cycling and hiking are just some of the activities that you can try, or for those who want to take a more leisurely pace then there are amazing trails and walks that meander through stunning landscape that are wheelchair and pram friendly. For children there are adventure playgrounds galore and forests to explore, or they can even try their hand at map reading or navigation skills. If you want to just do it in true traditional style, then take a picnic to one of the hundreds of picnic spots dotted all around the National Parks. And for the adrenaline junkie or bike enthusiast some of the National Parks are home to the highest and most daring peaks and the most splendid mountain passes where one feels truly enveloped in Earths resilient beauty. Whatever takes your fancy there is something for all to do. All you need with you is your sense of adventure and bags of openness as once you have experienced the National Parks you will be wishing to go back for some more.
For more information on your local National Park or what activities or events are on then check out www.nationalparks.gov.uk
