My Story

Thanks for taking the time to visit my
Big Walk 2016 JustGiving page. More information about The Big Walk 2016 can be found at www.shef.ac.uk/big-walk

The Big Walk 2016 combines two key
events - The Trans Pennine Trail and the One Day Walking Challenge.

I will be walking as a member of one of 2 teams of 10 staff each walking over 120 miles from 12-17 June to Sheffield on the Trans Pennine Trail, one team from the west coast in Southport and the other from the east coast in Hornsea. We will meet in Tankersley on Day 5 and walk the 18 miles back to the University campus the following day accompanied
by the Big Walk One Day Challenge team of staff, students, alumni and friends.

The University has a great tradition of helping refugee academics and students. One of our Nobel Laureates Hans Krebs fled from fascism in the 1930ies and spent "nineteen happy years" at the University. 

I worked with the wife of one of our past Phd students who was spotted on the television fleeing over the mountains as a result of persecution after conflict and rescued by University colleagues. 

I cannot imagine what it must feel like to leave my home and country with few if any possessions. 

We will be walking for pleasure--these people are climbing over mountains in fear of their lives.

Funds raised through the Big Walk will be used to support refugee academics and students at the University, to demonstrate our solidarity with refugees and to show that refugees are welcome at our University and in our city. Our University is a University of Sanctuary and this has been our tradition since this institution was founded. 

Funds raised through the Big Walk 2016 will be used in the following ways:

•          Supporting
at-risk academics: We have strong links with a number of programmes to support at-risk academics, including the Institute of International Education's Scholar Rescue Fund and the Council for At-Risk Academics (CARA) -  a charity which helps academics in immediate
danger, those forced into exile. Through these partnerships, the University of Sheffield can host academics, giving them a place of safety and the financial and practical help to continue their careers until such as time as they can return home.

•          Students
seeking refuge or asylum: The University offers fully funded undergraduate and postgraduate scholarships for refugees including those seeking asylum in the UK. Throughout 2016 we will be raising funds to increase this support.

Thank you for supporting the Big Walk
2016.

Donating through Just Giving is simple,
fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with Just Giving – they’ll never
sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money
directly to the University. So it’s the most efficient way to donate – saving
time and cutting costs for the University.

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity. So it’s the most efficient way to donate – saving time and cutting costs for the charity.