Instead of giving a bunch of cut flowers this Mother’s Day, one local charity is leading the way by dedicating an area of living hay meadow, jam-packed with native wildflowers, as a lasting tribute for an extra special mum.
Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust (YDMT) decided to surprise Rose McCarthy, mother of five and National Childbirth Trust’s antenatal teacher and national streams co-ordinator for the City of Sanctuary in Leeds.
YDMT presented Rose with this special gift in recognition of all her hard work and commitment to the new mums, pregnant women, babies and toddlers who have been displaced from their homelands and are now living in Leeds as refugees and asylum seekers.
Gail Smith, Community Worker at YDMT, said: “Through the ‘People and the DALES’ project we aim to give disadvantaged urban groups a day of respite in the Yorkshire Dales countryside, and hopefully the inspiration to spend more time outdoors in local green spaces. Community group leaders like Rose work tirelessly to provide support and friendship for disadvantaged individuals each day, and we feel privileged to be able to provide some assistance by leading fun and thought-provoking events.”
People and the DALES events provide opportunities for people to learn new skills, develop confidence, form friendships and experience the health and well-being benefits of being outdoors in the countryside. In many cases a simple walk, conservation activity, or craft event in the Yorkshire Dales can be an important turning point on the road to better mental and physical health. They have submitted an application for a Sanctuary in Health Award.
Rose said: “I am thrilled to receive this Living Bouquet gift from YDMT. It is a little reminder of the lives we have already helped to change through our work together, and hopefully a symbol of many more successes to come. I have been delighted to see both the mums and children flourish on our days out in the Dales with YDMT. Mums leave their troubles behind, play with their children, compare life in the English countryside with life back home and smile. It gives them hope that life can be better, and is fantastic for their mental health.”
