A FAMILY of refugees visited Exmoor for the first time recently through the Moor to Enjoy Project, a five-year collaboration between the park authority and Somerset and Devon Public Health to help connect local groups with nature.

Khaled and Duaa and their three children moved near the national park having previously lived in Jordan and, before that, Syria.

Carol Bryant, from Taunton Welcomes Refugees which has been supporting the family, translated what the trip to Exmoor meant to them: “What stood out for them was the sea – the children were seeing it for the first time having previously been in landlocked Jordan – and the animals. 

“They saw cows, sheep and Exmoor ponies. Khaled was a farmer in Syria and loves the countryside. He said the scenery was lovely. They also visited the mill at Dunster and Khaled said how much he’d like to return with the whole family and visit the castle, so the trip triggered an interest in returning to the area.”

Lucy McQuillan, Exmoor National Park Authority project co-ordinator for Moor to Enjoy, said: “It’s been an absolute pleasure to lead this project and see first-hand the amazing impact that time outdoors in the company of others can have for people going through some truly difficult times.

“It may seem like a small thing, but these kinds of connections can make a huge difference to people’s lives.

“Through Moor to Enjoy, I’m pleased to say we’ve helped over 1,000 people from 40 different groups, spanning homelessness, drug and alcohol problems, visual impairment, mental health issues and dementia. It’s been truly humbling.”

Funding to the Moor to Enjoy project ended in 2018, but the park authority is always happy to advise groups and there may still be opportunities to access support and funding through other programmes. Contact Tim Braund [email protected] for information.