At the end of July we took a group of women from across our projects for an enjoyable day out to the coast at Whitley Bay.
It was a chance for ten women from Action Housing, Action Letting and Action Access to come together and socialise, get to know the area while having a much-needed day at the seaside away from their usual routine.
The women met up at Action Foundation before jumping on the Metro for the ride out to the coast.
Paddle or swim?
Some of the women have physical and emotional health problems, so mutual support is very important for building their self-confidence and also their ability to relate to others in a similar position. Only a few of them had met before, but after initial introductions there was plenty of conversation and banter throughout the day.
The visit to the beach went down especially well. A couple of the women were bravely prepared for bathing in the North Sea and were sporting swimming costumes, but the rest were more than happy to just have a paddle.
“It was amazing”
It was then time to experience the traditional lunch of fish and chips, followed by some delicious ice cream before making the journey back to Newcastle.
The response from the women about the trip was really positive. “It was amazing, helped me forget about my tensions,” said one.
“I met new people and become closer to support staff,” another added.
“I enjoyed the trip it was amazing and I was happy to be with the other girls.”
A very successful and productive day all round, so there will definitely be more social activities planned. Trips like these really do make a difference to our clients who are often having a really tough time and really welcome the chance to get away.
Find out more about Action Access, our pilot scheme supporting female asylum seekers
