Skipton walkers add one hundred miles to around the world refugee solidarity walk

Skipton walkers add one hundred miles to around the world charity challenge

A group of Skipton locals have joined thousands of others to help complete a 24,900-mile walk around the world in solidarity with refugees.

Walking in solidarity with refugees

 

 

On 8 July, over fifteen supporters of the international development charity CAFOD contributed 128 miles to the challenge as they completed a walk down a sunny canal side to Silsden, where they met with another group of walkers coming from Keighley.

Catholics from England and Wales have been supporting the campaign, launched by Pope Francis in September 2017, and have already walked over 24,900 miles – the distance around the world. And now they are aiming to walk the equivalent of the distance again. The campaign calls on the Prime Minister to ensure that the UK takes a lead during UN refugee negotiations to ensure that people forced to flee their homes are treated with dignity.

Sheila Gregory, one of the walkers, said: “All of us felt the need to walk in solidarity with refugees fleeing war, persecution and poverty around the world.

“In a poignant moment, we stopped at the memorial to the Polish airmen and stood in silence to remember all who have died far from their homes.

“We also carried with us a Lampedusa Cross, made me a carpenter on the Island from the wood of a wrecked boat which had carried refugees.”

CAFOD local representative in Leeds, Bronagh Daly, said:

“We want to say a massive thank you to the community in Skipton for their walk. They came together and showed local leaders that protecting refugees and migrants is an important issue to their communities.

“Share the Journey will deliver a powerful message to world leaders that we want new global agreements that ensure refugees and migrants can live fairly and with dignity.”

Find out how you can join the campaign at cafod.org.uk/sharethejourney

Bingley Parishioners walk for refugees

In solidarity with people who flee their homes due to conflict and humanitarian disasters, CAFOD and the Catholic Church have been conducting a Share the Walk Campaign whose aim is to raise awareness of the plight of refugees throughout the World. In support of this initiative on the 10^th of June 2018 at 11am Paddy Spiller and Maria Beckwith from Our Lady and St Joseph, Aire Valley joined with members from their parish and took part in the Share the Journey Walk.

The walk started from the Bingley Fire Station, then via 3 Rise Locks and along the canal bank to Roberts Park, Saltaire. They shared a picnic together around the bandstand at about 1pm. The walk was about 4.5 miles and was supported by resources provided by CAFOD including a user guide as well as a organisers guide and a fact sheet.

Parishioners walk in solidarity with refugees

Parishioner  Paddy Spiller organised the walk along with members of the Third World Interest Group (TWIG) said “Everyone who attended enjoyed the walk, it helped us all to think more deeply about refugees and their journey to safety. It also helped to increase our awareness about the refugee crisis. The walk was a success, the weather was great and we said as a group we would like to do something like this again. I would encourage other parishes to take part in the ‘Share the Journey’ walk, the resources are easy to use, the stories helped to put the crisis into context.

 

 

Office Volunteers Rachael Chapman and Nhlanhla Moyo are helping parishes across the Diocese of Leeds to take part in the ‘Share the Journey’ action, if you would like to organise a walk in your parish, please contact us on 0113 275 9302 or leeds@cafod.org.uk

Year 8 Holy Family, Carlton walk 300 miles in solidarity with refugees

Holy Family Carlton year 8 pupils have recently put their faith into action and took part in the ‘Share the journey’ campaign. The students from Carlton, Selby learned a lot about the refugee crisis during the walk, and reflected on how they would feel if they were walking in the shoes of those fleeing danger, persecution, famine and unknown hardships.

Year 8 students from Holy Family, Carlton walk in solidarity with refugees

Sara Lambert, Lay Chaplain at Holy Family Catholic High School in Carlton, said “We went to Goathland and Whitby and we walked 12 miles together. There was 25 of us so in total we walked 300 miles! The pupils loved taking part.”

The students from Year 8 had an opportunity to learn more about the plight of their global brothers and sisters who need our support to call on Government leaders to support those seeking refuge. One year 8 student said “I don’t know how refugees do what they do as I found the walk itself hard for me!”  

If your school would like to follow in the footsteps of this amazing group of Year 8 students, click this link to download your Organiser’s Guide and also, you can find all the resources you need for your walk here. Don’t forget to add your total miles to the totaliser and send us your pictures to leeds@cafod.org.uk so we can share on social media and inspire more schools to follow in your footsteps!!!