Young people at GMYN read poetry and raise flag at Dunham Massey event to celebrate friendship and community 

A group of young people from GMYN recently read their own poetry and raised a flag as part of an event to celebrate the power of friendship and community at Dunham Massey. 

The annual event at Dunham Massey celebrates the friendship of Roger Grey, 10th Earl of Stamford, and Haile Selassie, the former Emperor of Ethiopia. In 1938, Roger Grey invited Haile Selassie to stay at Dunham Massey during a period of exile. 

The invitation came after the earl was moved by a speech given by the emperor. The visit marked the beginning of a lifelong friendship, and the Lion of Judah flag has flown above Dunham Massey to mark the emperor’s birthday every year since. 

This year a group from GMYN’s Beeing Together Programme, that supports seperated asylum-seeking children and young people, were invited to read their poetry at the celebratory event.

The group met Roger Grey’s ancestors and Iman Issachar who represented the Rastafari community at the event. The young people experienced a traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony and were given a tour of Dunham Massey. One of our young people was then invited onto the roof to raise the Lion of Judah flag.

The visit came after staff from Dunham Massey visited GMYN and spoke to our young people about Roger Grey and Haile Selassie’s friendship. The session led to a wider discussion about friendship and community and how both are so significant for the Rastafari community. The young people then wrote poems about the importance of friendship and community that they then read at the celebration event.

It took immense courage for our young people to read their poems publicly. Each of their poems reflected on the importance of community, friendship and supporting others in need and demonstrated immense compassion. 

Our Beeing Together programme coordinators Imogen Hadebe and Faisal Al Raisi both shared how proud they are of the group.

Imogen said: “I was so impressed with the courage they showed to stand up in front of strangers and read about something that resonated so strongly with them, they were amazing.”

Faisal added: “Working with them has shown me how much a bit of effort and trust can mean to a young person navigating so much uncertainty. I have also seen how resilient these young people can be, but also how much they thrive when given the right support and opportunity. Today was a perfect example of that.”

The event enabled the group to learn more about their local community and its links to British history, as well as the importance of friendship. We are incredibly proud of the young people for sharing their poetry.

A huge thank you to the National Trust and the team at Dunham Massey for organising the event. 

If you know of any separated asylum-seeking children that live or reside in Greater Manchester, please invite them to get in touch and come along to our sessions. You can contact our Programme Manager Eleanor Reardon via email at [email protected]

Find information on how to support GMYN here.