Project Lead
Diana, Journalism Student and Syrian Refugee
Project Title
Diana’s personal story of displacement, resilience, and rebuilding
Location
Scunthorpe
Focus Areas
- Refugee Integration
- Community Support
- Youth Empowerment
- Women’s Confidence Building
Project Overview
Carol Foster is the Village Hall Advisor at Humber and Wolds Rural Action (HWRA), where she has been leading a series of engagement sessions to help North Lincolnshire’s community venues prepare for Martyn’s Law - the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025.
With many village halls run entirely by volunteers, Carol’s work focuses not just on legislative awareness but on volunteer development and future planning, ensuring these vital spaces are protected and sustained for years to come.
Her sessions, delivered in village halls across the region, aimed to raise awareness of the upcoming legislation while also exploring how local communities can strengthen their volunteer networks and become more resilient and prepared.
“It’s all about being proactive. We don’t want these communities to be caught off guard. We want them ready, not rushing.” – Carol
Project Highlight: Martyn’s Law Awareness Sessions
At the heart of Carol’s engagement programme were her Martyn’s Law awareness sessions, designed for trustees, church reps, volunteers, and local residents who help keep village halls running.
Martyn’s Law is named after Martyn Hett, one of the victims of the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing. The tragedy revealed serious gaps in venue safety, particularly the absence of formal risk assessments. The new law, granted royal assent and expected to come into force within two to three years, will require all events with over 200 attendees to have robust risk assessments and safety protocols in place.
Carol’s sessions gave volunteers early insight into these requirements. While formal training is not yet available (as guidance is still in development), her workshops offered vital pre-emptive education, reducing fear and confusion and helping communities start preparing now.
“It’s about painting a picture of what these spaces mean to a community — the value of giving back, of being part of something.” – Carol
Outcomes and Insights
The sessions provided far more than legal updates - they became spaces for reflection, storytelling, and community-building.
- Raising awareness early meant communities were less likely to panic when the law comes into full effect.
- Volunteers felt seen and valued, with many sharing personal stories about why they choose to support their local halls.
- Village halls were reframed not just as buildings, but as hubs of connection and shared responsibility.
- Skill-sharing and dialogue emerged organically, as attendees discussed their own experiences of volunteering and leadership.
The sessions were a chance to reinforce the idea that being involved in a community space isn’t just a duty - it’s a source of belonging, purpose, and local pride.
Challenges and Learnings
While the initiative sparked great conversations, Carol and the HWRA team identified several ongoing challenges:
Volunteer recruitment: Many current volunteers are older or already involved in the community sector. Reaching younger, working-age volunteers remains difficult.
Perception of roles: Terms like “trustee” can feel intimidating or formal. HWRA is now promoting volunteer opportunities by skills, not titles, making roles feel more accessible.
Employer-Supported Volunteering (ESV): Discussions highlighted the potential for local businesses to encourage volunteering by allowing staff time off to contribute.
Tailored messaging is essential. At one open day, only ten people attended — a reminder that outreach needs to be engaging, clear, and community-specific.
Vision Moving Forward
Carol and HWRA are committed to ensuring village halls are ready for the legal, cultural, and generational shifts ahead. Their goals include:
Continuing early engagement so that volunteers and venue managers are not caught unprepared when Martyn’s Law is fully implemented.
Advocating for formal training once the final guidance is released.
Expanding outreach to build a broader, more diverse network of volunteers.
Embedding long-term support to help communities understand their obligations without becoming overwhelmed.
Carol’s vision is about more than compliance - it’s about sustaining the spirit of these spaces. It’s about ensuring the next generation feels just as connected to their local hall as those who’ve served for decades.
“If we get the support right now, we can make sure these spaces thrive for the next generation.” – Carol
Outcomes and Insights
Diana’s experience and that of her family highlight several powerful insights into refugee resettlement and the impact of grassroots support:
Education builds bridges: Her journalism studies gave her confidence, purpose, and the opportunity to reframe misunderstanding as curiosity rather than hostility.
Empowerment through language: For her mother, learning English was the catalyst to overcome isolation and build new relationships.
Community matters: Volunteers, neighbours, and local services created a safe environment where the family felt seen, supported, and valued.
Women’s confidence grows in community spaces: Accessible, culturally sensitive support specifically for women was vital in overcoming shyness and loneliness.
Challenges and Learnings
While Diana’s story is ultimately hopeful, it began with significant hardship:
Cultural misunderstandings: Wearing a hijab and speaking limited English led to intrusive questions and social withdrawal.
Emotional toll: The initial shock of relocation - and feeling like a “walking question mark” - made her retreat from the world around her.
Isolation: Her mother’s early experiences in Scunthorpe were marked by loneliness and depression, walking alone in the park with no community or friends.
However, through access to safe, welcoming support structures, the family was able to overcome these barriers, slowly replacing fear with confidence and disconnection with belonging.
Vision Moving Forward
Diana is now studying journalism, inspired by a Jordanian reporter she met in high school. Her dream is to tell stories that bring people together - stories like her own.
She believes more can and should be done to ensure refugees aren’t left on the margins:
Invest in women: Accessible English classes and safe social spaces are essential to helping mothers integrate and contribute.
Support young people: Education, sport, and creativity offer powerful pathways to confidence and contribution.
Empower through storytelling: Giving refugees a voice allows them to rewrite the narrative, from victimhood to agency.
“Everyone needs a chance to make a better future.” – Diana
“To all the volunteers, to Ty, to the people who welcomed us, I just want to say: thank you. You changed our lives.” - Diana
About Diana
Born near Damascus and raised in Jordan, Diana’s story crosses borders - shaped by conflict, shaped more deeply by community.
Since arriving in Scunthorpe in 2018, she’s overcome fear and isolation through her own courage, her family’s resilience, and the kindness of strangers who became neighbours, allies, and friends.
Now a journalism student, Diana is using her voice to amplify others - to share stories that heal, inform, and inspire.
Her journey is not just about resettlement. It’s about redefinition - about how community-led support can help someone not only find safety, but rediscover joy, confidence, and purpose.
