Big Ride for Palestine

This August I will be taking part in the Big Ride for Palestine. This is an annual bike ride to raise awareness of the human rights issues in Palestine with a particular focus on the trauma experienced by children. More information can be found here: https://www.thebigride4palestine.com/

It's my second year taking part, and at the top you can see some pictures from last year.

MECA

I’ll be raising money for MECA (Middle East Children's Alliance), a charity that specialises in working with children who have been traumatised by living under military occupation. MECA is a non-profit organization working for the rights and the well-being of children in the Middle East. They support dozens of community projects for Palestinian children and refugees from Syria. You can read more about the great work that MECA does on their About Us page.

The specific project that I’ll be fundraising for aims to create a cycling path from a village in the Northern West Bank to a nearby hillside ending with a recreation area for families. This hill is owned by families in the village but is under threat of confiscation and The Big Ride project will be part of their plan to protect the land by using it regularly. They are in a difficult area with illegal Israeli settlements encroaching but they are determined to stay on their land. MECA will be providing children, especially girls, opportunities to learn how to cycle and play other sports which will improve both their mental and physical health. They have built safe areas for children in play and cycle and piloted sports and psychosocial activities for children in Gaza.

Please consider donating:

It would be great if you have a few quid to spare for this amazing organisation. Any donation, big or small, is hugely appreciated!