Louise Turner the Refugee Integration Development Worker with Scottish Faiths Action for Refugees. She co-ordinates the monthly Edinburgh Weekend Club.
On Saturday 17th August, The Weekend Club set out to Dynamic Earth for a day of science, adventures and Syrian food! We saw 62 people through the doors from Syria, Egypt, Ghana, Nigeria, Germany and the UK.
Dynamic Earth were kind enough to provide us a space with refreshments and toys and it was great to see families from all over the world chatting over cups of tea while the children played at the art table.
We were joined by a small group from a local church, Grace Church Leith.
It was so valuable to have families from a local faith community attend too.
People quickly started to mingle- it’s encouraging to see how much we can communicate with each other despite language barriers. We enjoyed a light lunch together provided by Taza Bake, a local Syrian bakery. It was delicious!
For many, this was their first time at Dynamic Earth, an iconic tourist attraction in Edinburgh and excellent place to engage with the sciences and learn more about the world around us. As the group made their way through the tour, it was obvious that this was an incredibly unique and valuable experience.
The interactive activities broke down barriers and it was wonderful to see people from such different backgrounds getting along so well. A particularly popular room was the earthquake room- adults and children squealing in delight as the ground moved and shook!
The day finished with a film at the ShowDome followed by some delicious Ma’moul and more cups of tea. Huge thanks to Dynamic Earth for providing the activities, thank you to Taza Bake for the delicious food but most importantly thank you to the participants and volunteers who came with open minds and an eagerness s to form social connections across a range of different cultures and backgrounds.
