When You Walk with Others, the Journey Is Easier

I love serendipity. She is one of my best friends. She has never let me down, and she has a magical way of opening my eyes when I think they are already wide open enough.

The other day I was convinced that I had a writing workshop, so, making my way to North Shields, I was full of excitement to get the pen and paper out and let my imagination flow. Admittedly, that is not always easy after a busy week. It turned out, however, that I did not have a writing workshop – I had got my dates mixed up! There I was, standing outside of the library, cursing myself for not syncing my calendars. However, my friend serendipity moves in mysterious ways, and that day she decided that I would meet Joan Hoult, the CEO of Walking With in North Tyneside, a charity that helps to support people seeking asylum and refuge in the local area. Joan kindly gave me some of her time to tell me about her work with the charity and the impact it is having in North Tyneside and how it is helping people to find a supportive community. 

So, who are Walking With? Walking With has been going for over 25 years. Their aim is to support asylum seekers and refugees in North Tyneside by providing various essential services, including donations of food and clothing, English classes, one-to-one support and befriending. There are currently four members of staff and 55 volunteers. It is the volunteers who form a crucial part of the organisation in that they are the ones who help to facilitate the services Walking With provide.

Walking With is situated in the premises of the old vicarage in Wallsend and has a homely feel which helps to promote a sense of belonging. The objective is to provide a safe, welcoming space for people who need sanctuary. In addition, the charity also provides weekly English classes in the form of Every Day English to help people integrate into the local community.

As well as providing this safe space, part of the charity’s aim is to bust myths around asylum seekers and refugees and inform others of the supportive role the charity plays in doing so. It is about getting the right information from the right people in the right way. Walking With relies on grants and funding applications to keep it going; it does not get funding from local government. It donates fruit, vegetables and tinned goods as these are vital.

Walking With has evolved over the last few years and is continuing to grow. Previously, it was about getting people together for a coffee and a chat to give them a sense of community. Now, the charity is a lead for the Schools of Sanctuary initiative, which aims to engage people and support those who are seeking asylum.

The charity has an ethos of fun and learning, making it a great place to work. Everything they do is about learning and supporting others. As well as English classes, there is a weekly Happy to Chat session, which aims to get people learning, listening and talking. It is a safe, nourishing environment to build confidence and allows people who come to Walking With to chat in a group about whatever it is they would like to chat about. There is no set theme or topic.

At present, the charity also has 18 service users who volunteer there. This allows them to see a different side of what the charity does and empowers them by giving them skills and confidence.

After speaking with Joan, I left North Shields with a huge spring in my step, and, as I waited on the platform to catch the metro home, I thought about the name of the charity, and how it reminded me of one of my favourite quotes by the spiritual teacher Ram Dass, who said that we are all just walking each other home. Yes, we are. We are all just walking each other home.

Lyndsey Dickinson.