Walk for Peace

Stoke Quakers and Samud Palestine Walk for Peace on Saturday 29th June in aid of PTC and ICAHD

On Saturday 29th June 2024, Sumud Palestine and Stoke Quaker Meeting came together to Walk for Peace. We met at the Friends Meeting House at Newcastle under Lyme and set off on a circular walk taking in Brampton Park. Participants had the option of visiting the Brampton Park museum and cafe and we paused to look at several pieces of sculpture in the park.
The purpose of the walk was to raise money for the Palestine Trauma Centre and the Israeli Committee against House Demolitions, projects which are an exemplar of a social justice approach, one a Palestinian charity, the other an Israeli organisation. Angela Glendenning, founder of Samud Palestine and member of Stoke Quaker Meeting, comments: “I know these projects well. Both are rock solid and not a penny is wasted. The PTC is finding ways to support families and children amidst the carnage, and in May, ICAHD took a group with a mental health professional on a successful study tour of Israel and the West Bank.” As always, Palestinians welcome visitors, urging them to ‘Tell them how it is’ when they return home.

We raised £735 on the day which was topped up to £1,000 by one generous supporter. Many thanks to everyone who took part and donated.

Films showing the work of the PTC and the ICAHD were shown at the Meeting House and many people took the opportunity to find out more over refreshments after the walk.

The event was supported by The Extra Guest and Newcastle Unitarians and was well attended.

Gallery

Over 30 people and one dog, many in Quaker tabards, pose for the camera in front of the Meeting House.
Group photo before we set off on our walk
The bee sculpture at Brampton Park
The ‘Lady in the Park’ is located in the grounds of Brampton Park. The life-sized sculpture, created in steel, was designed by Andy Edwards and made by PM Training and Realise. “This life-sized sculpture in Brampton Park, Newcastle-under-Lyme, depicts a woman reading a letter informing her that a family member has been killed in action. The inspiration for the woman was Vera Brittain (1893–1970), who was born in Newcastle-under-Lyme and worked as a Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD) nurse for much of the First World War. Brittain’s best-selling memoir Testament of Youth (1933), described her experiences during and after the First World War, which saw the loss of her brother, fiancé and some of her closest friends. A plaque beside the sculpture has a quote from Brittain’s Testament of Youth.
Watch a YouTube clip about the sculpture https://youtu.be/IJaDc5N7jkM?si=Q9sYHRhiZ4UXSGNQ
Close up of the letter held by the ‘Lady in the Park’ which says “The King commands me to assure you of the true sympathy of His Majesty and The Queen in your sorrow.” and is signed by Secretary of State for War.
“I sat in a tree-shadowed walk called the Brampton and meditated on the War. It was one of those shimmering autumn days when every leaf and flower seemed to scintillate with light, and I found it very hard to believe that not far away men were being slain ruthlessly. It is impossible, I concluded, to find any satisfaction in the thought of the destruction of men whether they be English, French, German or anything else, seems a crime to the whole march of civilisation.”
The plaque next to the ‘Lady in the park’ sculpture features a quote from Vera Brittain’s ‘Testament of Youth’.
Artwork created by local sculptor Anthony Hammond. Carved from a felled horse chestnut tree.
The design is a memorial for the 80th anniversary of the D-day landings.
Tom Brown Tivey was a local soldier who fought in World War 1. Sculpture created by Anthony Hammond from a horse chestnut stump.

MORE ABOUT THE PROJECTS

Palestine Trauma Centre (PTC)

PTC(Gaza) was set up in 2007 in Gaza City to help train therapists in mental health skills. It was also a referral centre for those with mental disorders and PTSD symptoms.

https://www.palestinetraumacentre.uk/

The Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions (ICAHD)

More than 173,000 Palestinian homes have been demolished in Israel and the Occupied Palestine Territory (OPT) since 1947. ICAHD is committed to bringing peace with justice to our tortured land. This is not a conflict between two equal parties.

https://icahd.org/

Quakers say:

There is something sacred in everyone.

Equality is fundamental in everything we do.

We find spiritual nourishment in stillness.

Faith reaches to every corner in life.

It inspires us to work for PEACE, TRUTH, and JUSTICE for all life on earth.