Having found her own solace in being in nature, Evie created Peaks of Colour in 2021 - a walking-for-healing community, based in the Peak District that is organised by and for people of colour. Peaks of Colour is interested in exploring alternative routes to healing and justice in nature and – in doing so – breaks down barriers to access and challenges rural racism.
Peaks of Colour’s Walking Club offers monthly hikes across classic Peak District locations which vary in difficulty to meet both the needs and the abilities of a range of walkers of all ages. Their ‘Healing Justice Club’ for example is a space for gendered violence survivors and involves creative and holistic workshops in nature such as yoga, sound therapy, forest bathing and nature writing workshops. These are often co-facilitated in collaboration with local creatives and practitioners of colour. Evie has taken active steps to ensure that her community is intersectional, inclusive, LGBTQIA+ friendly, trauma-informed and is founded on the Black feminist concept of ‘Radical Self Care’, where the emphasis is placed on prioritising one’s own wellbeing to better support the wider community.
Peaks of Colour tackles the underrepresentation of people of colour in natural spaces and aims to break down barriers which exclude people from the benefits of being outdoors.
“Spending time in nature has been known to improve mood and physical health and reduce stress yet statistics show that in 2019, only 1% of visitors to UK national parks came from BAME backgrounds.”
Evie
A survivor of domestic abuse herself, Evie comes from a specialist background in supporting black and queer experiences of gendered violence and working with mainstream organisations to ensure their practice is anti-racist and LGBT+ inclusive. Through Peaks of Colour, she seeks to imagine inclusive futures for survivors of gendered violence survivors of colour. For Evie, this means rejecting and challenging the status quo in relation to funding and governance. Evie is also a freelance writer and defines herself as a ‘social justice journalist’, interested in writing for healing, and platforming voices most marginalised within the sector.
Evie felt that The Multiplier programme could be the nurturing space for her to learn, unlearn and deepen the impact Peaks of Colour has within the community. We’re delighted to be walking on this journey with Evie, supporting her to bring more people of colour together and create a sense of belonging, value and friendship between people in the great outdoors.