20 April 2010: Apologies for not updating this site directly after, but I was busy celebrating my new status as a MARATHONER!!! The race was beautiful, the weather was wonderful for running, and the rest of the Refuge team provided tremendous support on and off the course. Thanks to you all for supporting this organization! Pictures from the race will be up soon!

17 April 2010: I'm in Brighton. It's sunny but not exactly warm. The city is busy and I will soon go to pick up my race packet at the expo. My hotel room overlooks the seafront, plus I have a balcony to sit on. Nothing better than looking at the beach with a cup of tea (and cake, yay carbo-loading!) ☺

Learned that volcanic ash over Iceland may delay my return home, but no problems. Run first, fly later ☺

Thank you all for your wonderful support!

 

14 April 2010: I have reached London! Time to stave off jetlag :)

 

Many 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 and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, while saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

As many of you may know, I am signed up to run the Brighton Marathon on Sunday, April 18, 2010. I am running for Refuge UK, a charity supporting women and child survivors of physical, sexual, economic, and emotional abuse. My longest run to date has been 20 miles, and I am excited to finish my training program and to cross the finish line on the beach!

Refuge UK provides a number of services to the public, including:

* a 24/7 toll-free National Domestic Violence Hotline for referrals to legal and psychological health services

* a network of refuge shelters and guidance to assist survivors as they leave abusive situations

* transitional information as survivors integrate to new communities upon leaving refuges

* specific, culturally-sensitive tools for African, African-Caribbean, and Asian populations

* political education, research, and advocacy supporting the creation of anti-domestic violence legislation

Refuge UK has provided these services in the United Kingdom for 39 years.

Some of you may be wondering why I am running for a British charity when I am American. After all, domestic violence is documented in the United States as well as the United Kingdom, so why don't I just run for an American anti-DV group?

Here are some answers:

1. Conviction rates for rape in the United States are at approximately 13%. While that is low - especially considering that the majority of rapes are not reported - the conviction rate in the United Kingdom is even lower, coming in at less than 6%.

 

2. Forced marriage, or a marriage conducted without the expressed consent of both parties, has gained much attention in the British press over the last few years. It occurs primarily among immigrants from Asian communities. The UK Home Office's Forced Marriage Unit offers a number of publications.

3. For ten months in 2005-06, I lived in northern England, where I came to know a number of people who are survivors of relationship abuse. While respecting their privacy by not sharing any of their stories, I will simply state that they have inspired me to support Refuge for providing much-needed services.

This marathon is an opportunity to help survivors restore respect and dignity to their lives. Refuge UK and I would be so grateful to have your support, whatever form it takes. Whether you can offer 5 or 500 dollars, every little bit helps.

Kind regards,

Namita