As the 2025 walking season draws to a close, I’ve been reflecting on an extraordinary year for Regenesis, one shaped by history, remembrance, challenge, and deep connection.
Our guiding theme has been simple but transformative: growth happens outside your comfort zone. Each walk, each conversation, and each new partnership has helped us understand, in very real ways, what it means to walk for kindness and racial harmony.
February – Arek Hersh and the Tree of Life
We opened the year supporting Arek Hersh, Holocaust survivor and ‘Windermere Boy’, as he returned to the lake where he once swam as a newly liberated teenager in 1945.
The cold bit hard that morning, but Arek’s humour and determination kept everyone warm.
Together we retraced his steps and placed stones beneath the Tree of Life at the Calgarth Estate. With every visit, that tree gathers more strength — it is genuinely flourishing.
In true Arek fashion, he signed his stone, said Kaddish with me, and pinched my kippah and gloves.
Reconnecting Communities – Matzah Rambles
In April, we welcomed communities from South Manchester for two Regenesis Rambles, introducing new audiences to the Windermere story.
After walking in the footsteps of the Windermere Boys, we held a moving service at Calgarth — the first there in 80 years, led by Rabbi Dovid and joined by Arek, who had been present at services on that same ground eight decades earlier.
Rabbi Dovid spoke powerfully about the Tree of Life’s origins: an acorn brought from a concentration camp in Poland. He reminded us that admiration alone isn’t enough, you must nourish the roots if the tree is to thrive.
We then revisited the Windermere Children’s favourite places, including Orrest Head. Watching a young man reach the summit in his wheelchair, surrounded by proud family and friends, was one of the most emotional moments of the year.
From Terezín to Windermere
This year, we completed our mission to walk every step from Terezín to Windermere, a journey from terror to refuge and rebuilding lives.
In June, I led a Carlisle-to-Windermere walk for a local charity, where we learned how the Montefiore family funded the RAF evacuation of more than 700 refugees from Prague to Carlisle, coordinated by my grandfather’s regiment.
Standing at the Carlisle Airfield Museum, where the planes carrying the Windermere Children once landed, brought the story sharply into focus, a powerful reminder of courage, coordination, and compassion.
80th Anniversary Walk & BBQ
August marked 80 years since the arrival of the Windermere Children.
We began with a private barbecue overlooking Calgarth, joined by Eleanor Greene, producer of the BBC film, and three of the original Boys. The conversations by the fire were unforgettable, intimate and reflective.
The following morning, on the anniversary itself, we walked in their footsteps once more, supported by Cumbria Police and joined by three TV crews. The event appeared on local news.
As an outdoor instructor with barely three years of experience, guiding this walk was a humbling milestone. Each year reminds me that when you step outside your comfort zone, your comfort zone expands.
The Lake District Holocaust Project
Working with Trevor Avery and the LDHP remains one of the great honours of this work. Trevor’s firsthand accounts of the Windermere Children continue to move everyone who hears them.
This partnership shone brightly during the unveiling of the new Star of David Garden at The Lakes School, a deeply moving tribute on the 80th anniversary.
Last month, we returned again to Calgarth and The Lakes School to witness the Windermere Children being inducted into the School’s alumni, an event Regenesis proudly sponsored. Hearing reflections from Angie Cohen and Rob Rinder connected generations in a powerful and memorable way.
Looking Ahead
In 2026, Regenesis will continue its mission of kindness and racial harmony with:
• Youth treks from Terezín to Prague as part of our inaugural Duke of Edinburgh expeditions
• More “Matzah Rambles” for communities across the North
• Outdoor education events for primary schools from disadvantaged areas
Thank you to the 45 Aid Society for welcoming us as a like-minded partner and recognising the role Regenesis plays in shaping the next generation of racial-harmony ambassadors.
2025 has not been an easy year for those promoting racial harmony — but through shared challenge and conversation, we have shown that connection can still take root.
Regenesis events have now raised almost £200,000 for charities in just two years.
Here’s to 2026 — more miles, more meaning, and more stories that remind us why we walk.
