Last week, 17 Kind Economy activists and their families spent a night camping in the beautiful County Antrim countryside. At a time of rising racist violence and intimidation of refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants in public spaces, this trip was a powerful reclamation of place and belonging.

In the tail-end of Storm Floris, the Kind Economy campers gathered outside Redeemer Central eagerly awaiting their bus, refusing to let their spirits be dampened by the classically unpredictable Irish summer weather. The excitement was palpable as the 50-seater coach set off, navigating the winding country roads before finally pulling up at its destination; Willow and Lore, a heritage farm located a few miles outside Ballymena.

After wheelbarrowing our camping gear up the lane, we were given an incredibly warm welcome by Declan and Sabrina, the farm owners, and their three children, who wasted no time showing their new friends the best secret spots for adventuring and the treasure chest full of toys.

The lunch team of Kind Economy chefs quickly set to work preparing Falafel, Baba Ganoush, and Ful for the 50 hungry campers; for these talented professional chefs feeding a crowd comes second nature! As soon as people were fed, the lunch table was cleared away to make space for dancing, Shisha, Sudanese Coffee, and special sweet treats - Syrian ‘Nightingales Nest’ Knafeh.

The party was abruptly cut short as annual registration for Belfast Met ESOL English classes was about to open. These classes are highly sought after but places are strictly limited. In the past, registration has been known to close after just 15 minutes, as soon as the places are filled. Our campers were well prepared - with some of them having attempted this last year and the year before, they knew the drill. Volunteers prepared themselves, with phones in hand and ID cards at the ready, to help people who don’t speak English navigate a registration process solely in English that is fraught with technical challenges and crashing webpages. Some people managed to register, and others struggled. A mix of elation and bitter disappointment spread through the camp. Undeterred, volunteers patiently repeated the same steps hoping at some point the website would work. Finally, success! Against all odds everyone in camp got a place, and the dancing resumed.

Later that afternoon, whilst the kids were off playing, the Kind Economy activists took the opportunity to reflect on how far their campaign has come in the last five years. We spoke about the incredible ways the campaign has built community and solidarity in the face of a hostile immigration system, designed to isolate and harm. From organising community meals for homeless families, to picking up each other’s kids from school, the networks of care the campaigners have established are tangible.

Some activists expressed their difficult feelings of joy to be there with us, but also deep sadness that their families and loved ones were not with them but still in Gaza and Sudan. People comforted each other and we all agreed that we were incredibly lucky to have food, warmth, and shelter.

We joined the kids outside, sipping our hot drinks whilst watching them race through the fields, their laughter carrying for miles. At a time where far right vigilantes are patrolling parks, this opportunity to play without fear was deeply welcomed. Before long people began to get hungry, the BBQs were lit and the meat grilling began; an epic feast of beef burgers, lamb cutlets, and chicken legs, all masterfully marinated in a delicious blend of spices.

As the sun began to slip behind the trees, the campfire was lit. For the kids, this meant it was time for the much-anticipated marshmallow toasting and hot chocolates. We huddled in alongside them and were joined by a local Trad group, who underscored the wholesome evening with banjo, tin whistle, bodhrán and flute. The crackling fire and dancing embers illuminated the joy and relaxation on people’s faces. Even in the darkness the kids could be heard running, laughing, and playing in the hay meadow exploring camp with their new torches. As it passed midnight the glowing red moon could be seen peeking through the clouds, and people headed for bed.

Despite the late night, people woke early and over breakfast discussed their experience of sleeping in a tent for the first time. Sipping our cardamom spiced coffee, we laughed with the mums whose kids were too filled with questions to sleep and speculated over who or what was making strange noises in the night.

The breakfast was cleared away and the kids set off with Declan for a tour of his family’s Heritage Farm where they learned about Irish traditional farming methods and met the farm animals. Meanwhile, the Kind Economy activists convened to discuss the challenges facing refugees and asylum seekers in their communities, access to English classes and public services, the ban on work for asylum seekers, as well as the rise in both institutional racism and vigilante racist violence. There was no shortage of ideas as people avidly discussed how to build our campaign around these issues and draw on support from the ever-growing Kind Economy Network.

As the afternoon rolled around a final feast was prepared and we began to pack up camp. Tents and sleeping bags were wrestled back into their frustratingly tiny bags, a rite of passage for any camper, and bags were wheelbarrowed back down the lane to the bus back to Belfast.

Organising the trip was a huge operation and a phenomenal display of teamwork, testament to the solidarity and community that has been built by the Kind Economy activists.