Carry My Story- Yorkshire Spirit

Carry My Story is a cohesion project working within schools and neighbourhoods, with the aim of encouraging story exchange with refugees.

Carry My Story is a project delivered by West Yorkshire based community interest company (CIC), Yorkshire Spirit and funded by The Linking Network and Kirklees Council. With years of experience delivering projects to schools throughout Kirklees, this particular project is now in its second year. 

The project created sharing opportunities between pupils and local refugees, with the aim of strengthening communication, challenging preconceptions and inspiring empathy for others. Its aim is to encourage pupils to embrace difference and celebrate identity, by carrying one another’s stories. This was done through sharing reflective stories between groups where quotes, photographs and reflective responses were collected from key exchanges taking place. 

A celebratory event, bringing over 500 children and 150 adults together, featured in the project and included creative activities involving poetry, songs, drama, artwork, textiles, and stalls. The stalls in particular represented opportunities to showcase refugee and pupil’s stories with vibrant and moving expressions of joy, love and understanding.


From this project, both refugees and pupils have responded extremely positively, with some schools becoming Schools of Sanctuary as a direct result of the project.