On Wednesday 24th November 2022, a small team from Surrey Wildlife Trust took part in the Surrey Hills Symposium at the University of Surrey.
Everyone that attended had a common goal of having a countryside for all!
The event started with a marketplace for people to meet and chat with the different charities and organizations within surrey that are all working towards this goal.
Me alongside colleagues Billie and Esther from Surrey Wildlife Trust.
After the marketplace, it was time for everyone to take their seats in the auditorium for the showcase and debate.
This was filled with information about the different projects in the Surrey Hills and included talks from four speakers presenting different perspectives on inclusiveness in nature. The talks were about encouraging minority groups that the countryside is for everyone, and I was lucky to be one of the speakers.
I got to talk about my journey in the outdoors with a physical disability and how I have started to change people’s views on disabilities. I believe we can do anything anyone else can; we just do it differently!
You can watch a video about my story on Youtube here >>
I also got to play a fun game with the audience of ‘Lizard or Newt’ and it was great to see everyone getting involved!
After that, all the speakers returned to the stage for a Q&A-style debate, in which we got to answer some topical questions with our own opinions.
Me on stage presenting my Lizard or Newt game.
Throughout the evening, we had a wonderful artist putting our thoughts and words into small drawings to visualise all the things addressed.
If you wish to read more about the symposium or even watch the recording from the showcase, please follow this link to the Surrey Hills website >>
