Desperate Journeys
Published: 26 June 2025
Last weekend saw the end of the immersive experience ‘Desperate Journeys’ hosted by Sevenoaks Welcomes Refugees at Sevenoaks Town Council’s car park.
Organised by a small drama group '
Empathy Action', the performances are designed to simulate for us, living in a peaceful country, what life is like when war forces you to leave your home.
I’ve been through it, playing the part of a member of a family trying to take decisions on what to do when your world falls apart. Who do you trust? Where do you flee to? It’s terrifying, and makes you feel completely powerless. During the week, 400 local people went through this experience - including local schools and the police.
Sevenoaks Welcomes Refugees is an organisation of volunteers which helps support refugees who have been officially recognised. Most come from Syria, Afghanistan and Ukraine, and many have been through the real dangerous choices we role played.
It’s a tribute to the support given that many of the refugees are now working in local businesses, schools and health services, contributing to our community. But many, like the young Ukrainian girl we hosted in our home last year, hope their own homes will soon be safe to go back to.
Cllr Tony Clayton
Mayor of Sevenoaks
