Inspired by nature in her local area, a woman from Bolton set up an online community to encourage other fellow Muslimahs to enjoy the countryside.

During the lockdown, Amira Patel founded an online community, The Wanderlust Women, to encourage more Muslim women to explore the great outdoors.

Amira said: “I always used to think: ‘where do I belong?’ I thought that home had to be a specific location, but now I realise that home is where you feel the most alive.

“The outdoors is now my office. It’s been a space for me to heal, to connect with myself, with God, and connect with everything around me.

The Wanderlust Women soon started to explore their surroundings as they gained confidence. What started as a small group of 30 people expanded to a community of more than 5,000 people worldwide.

“I’m very passionate about this project. I want more representation of Muslim women outdoors. I wanted to give them the confidence to go out and experience it for themselves, so I started blogging about my journey.
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“Sometimes we feel like there are barriers – but the key is how we challenge them.”

The 29-year-old supports the development of the new South Pennines Park, where her passion for exploring nature began.

The South Pennines Park is an independent landscape covering 460 square miles of Yorkshire, Lancashire and Greater Manchester. It is home to 660,000 people living in the park – twice as many as the 10 English national parks.

“The outdoors is for everyone,” she added. “The South Pennines Park area, particularly Rivington, Winter Hill and the Belmont area, is where my journey began. It will always have a place in my heart.”