Nature Volunteering Bridges Asylum Seekers and Rural Communities

Dozens of asylum seekers, refugees and local volunteers gathered at Ty Mawr country park on the River Dee in north-Wales to remove invasive Himalayan balsam. The quarterly event is part of a partnership among the charities Action Asylum, Asylum Link Merseyside, the North Wales Wildlife Trust and the Dee Trust. Participants work on habitat restoration, vegetable planting and tree-planting while spending a few hours outside the asylum accommodation in Liverpool.

The Guardian

Action Asylum, a national project delivered by the Task Force Trust, has coordinated environmental volunteering for people seeking asylum since 2020. A recent £1.62 million boost from the National Lottery’s climate-action fund will fund three years of new programmes, extending the model to Sheffield, Newcastle, Bolton and other sites. Over the next three years the initiative aims to involve more than 3,000 volunteers and run 120 large-scale climate-action events across England and Wales.

The Guardian

Project director Emma Leaper said the new funding allows the charity to scale a model that “brings people together in nature, on a scale we’ve never been able to before.” She added that participation “can transform someone’s confidence and sense of self” for people facing barriers to inclusion. Lead ambassador Jane, herself a refugee, emphasized that planting “does not matter who you are or where you came from” and that the work “plants belonging, and we plant purpose.” North Wales Wildlife Trust guide Gemma Rose noted that the activity offers asylum seekers “a much better view of the world” beyond the hotel settings where many spend most of their time.

The Guardian

• “This place is so beautiful.” — Abdullah, Sudanese asylum seeker

The Guardian

• “It feels a very long way from the Home Office.” — Abdullah, Sudanese asylum seeker

The Guardian

• “When you plant a tree, it does not matter who you are or where you came from. Your hands are in the soil, and you belong to the planet as a human being. We don’t just plant trees. We plant belonging, and we plant purpose.” — Jane, refugee ambassador

The Guardian

• “This funding means we can do what we know works, bringing people together in nature, on a scale we’ve never been able to before.” — Emma Leaper, project director, Action Asylum

The Guardian

• “I want to work with the soil to protect our environment.” — Solomon, Ethiopian volunteer

The Guardian

Beyond invasive-species removal, volunteers grow onions, potatoes, garlic and courgettes, linking food production with ecological restoration. Participants report that the hands-on work reconnects them with memories of home—Abdullah recalled planting onions and garlic in Darfur—and fosters a sense of purpose in a new country. The expanded funding and planned rollout suggest the model will continue to blend climate resilience with social integration throughout the UK.

The Guardian