Letter to Editor: ‘It’s more important than ever’, says British Red Cross expert, urging people in Wales to join charity challenge for refugees 

‘It’s more important than ever’, says British Red Cross expert, urging people in Wales to join charity challenge for refugees

We’ve been watching it on the news now for almost a hundred days – millions of people in Ukraine who are running in search of safety. And who could fail to be moved by these images of mothers, children and the elderly fleeing their homes with whatever they can carry and leaving behind everything they know?

Now, I’m no runner, but I will be running every day in June, in solidarity with those people in Ukraine and around the world who are on a desperate journey to find a place of safety.

It’s part of a challenge from the British Red Cross called Miles For Refugees, and this year, after so much global displacement, it’s more important than ever.

At the British Red Cross, we believe that every refugee matters. That’s why we’re asking everyone across Wales to take part in Miles for Refugees, a fundraising challenge to help provide support for refugees and people seeking asylum in the UK and abroad.

I described the journeys that people make as ‘desperate’ because that’s what they are. In the face of conflict or persecution, refugees are often forced to travel hundreds, if not thousands of miles to reach a place of safety. Over 80 million people around the world have been forced to leave their homes due to violence, conflict or natural disasters.

This year we’ve seen an outpouring of compassion for the Ukrainian families who’ve been split and displaced by conflict. We know people care, so please put your best foot forward and join Miles for Refugees. All you have to do is pick the distance of a typical journey made by a refugee and cover the equivalent miles during the month of June.

You don’t have to run. You could cycle, swim, walk the dog or choose a combination of activities. You could choose the distance between Ukraine to Poland (108 miles), or the 22-miles across The Channel, or complete one of the other journeys charted on our world map, on our website.

Whether you choose to walk, run, cycle or swim, the money you raise will help the British Red Cross to ensure that all refugees are made to feel welcome in their communities and are given the support they need to rebuild their lives in safety.

Your miles can change the lives of refugees this June. Join me and sign up at miles.redcross.org.uk

Alex Fraser, UK Director of Refugee Support & Restoring Family Links.