Dear OneStep community, friends, partners and supporters,
It is with a heavy heart that we would like to let you know that OneStep Walks is closing.
This journey started with a single step. A small group of us were privileged to attend a Techfugees weekend hackathon in 2016. Most of the founders were meeting for the first time and had no expectation of starting an organisation, especially not one that would endure for six years. That weekend we heard directly from people with refugee experience who told us about the challenges they faced settling into a new country - feeling lonely and isolated and a sense that they didn’t belong in their new community. We knew from our experience that many locals wanted to extend the hand of welcome to new arrivals but didn’t know where or how to do that. We knew there was a gap to fill.
From the seed of an idea OneStep Walks was born - to connect people arriving in Australia as refugees, with those who already lived here through a very simple model - a walk and talk to build mutual empathy and understanding. With every OneStep walk, there was a heartfelt Budyeri Kamaru (Gadigal language), Hello, Salam (Arabic / Farsi / Dari) or Tashi Delek (Tibet). The stories we heard from participants, the human connection we witnessed was of a community that was both welcoming and empathetic of one another. Stories of resilience were shared, hands of welcome were extended, food and laughter brought so many together despite differences in cultural background, lived experience and language.
We have had the enormous honour of igniting conversations between 1500 people, hosting over 25 events, surviving a pandemic and La Niña. We have grown into a tight knit core of seven volunteers, who meet weekly to discuss partnerships, walk locations, fundraising, marketing and administration despite work, family and other commitments. However, the work required to administer a viable charity is significant and our small volunteer-led organisation has grown and scaled to a point where it’s now beyond our capacity to manage sustainably. So we have come to the difficult decision to bring this journey to its natural end and close OneStep Walks.
We are grateful to have been able to contribute to this space and to all of you who chose to walk with us along the way. We’re inspired to see others offering opportunities for locals to open their homes, share meals and knowledge to support newly arrived refugees to start their life in Australia because we know the gains are mutual.
We will always remember the conversations and the joy we felt through the simple power of human connection. As Maya Angelou said “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
Thank you,
The OneStep Team
It is with a heavy heart that we would like to let you know that OneStep Walks is closing.
This journey started with a single step. A small group of us were privileged to attend a Techfugees weekend hackathon in 2016. Most of the founders were meeting for the first time and had no expectation of starting an organisation, especially not one that would endure for six years. That weekend we heard directly from people with refugee experience who told us about the challenges they faced settling into a new country - feeling lonely and isolated and a sense that they didn’t belong in their new community. We knew from our experience that many locals wanted to extend the hand of welcome to new arrivals but didn’t know where or how to do that. We knew there was a gap to fill.
From the seed of an idea OneStep Walks was born - to connect people arriving in Australia as refugees, with those who already lived here through a very simple model - a walk and talk to build mutual empathy and understanding. With every OneStep walk, there was a heartfelt Budyeri Kamaru (Gadigal language), Hello, Salam (Arabic / Farsi / Dari) or Tashi Delek (Tibet). The stories we heard from participants, the human connection we witnessed was of a community that was both welcoming and empathetic of one another. Stories of resilience were shared, hands of welcome were extended, food and laughter brought so many together despite differences in cultural background, lived experience and language.
We have had the enormous honour of igniting conversations between 1500 people, hosting over 25 events, surviving a pandemic and La Niña. We have grown into a tight knit core of seven volunteers, who meet weekly to discuss partnerships, walk locations, fundraising, marketing and administration despite work, family and other commitments. However, the work required to administer a viable charity is significant and our small volunteer-led organisation has grown and scaled to a point where it’s now beyond our capacity to manage sustainably. So we have come to the difficult decision to bring this journey to its natural end and close OneStep Walks.
We are grateful to have been able to contribute to this space and to all of you who chose to walk with us along the way. We’re inspired to see others offering opportunities for locals to open their homes, share meals and knowledge to support newly arrived refugees to start their life in Australia because we know the gains are mutual.
We will always remember the conversations and the joy we felt through the simple power of human connection. As Maya Angelou said “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
Thank you,
The OneStep Team
Over 5 years of service
26 community walks hosted
1,496 people walked with us
20 parks, beaches & cultural institutions visited
275 walkers - our biggest walk
9 different refugee communities reached
26 community walks hosted
1,496 people walked with us
20 parks, beaches & cultural institutions visited
275 walkers - our biggest walk
9 different refugee communities reached
We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land on which we live and walk. We acknowledge their Elders, past, present and future, and their enduring connection to Country. We acknowledge that the Traditional Owners of this land have been welcoming newcomers for thousands of years.
