Joe's April 500km for Refugee Legal Aid

April 500km for Refugee Legal Aid · 1 April 2021
Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.
I am cycling 500km in April to raise money for SolidariTee. I'm a regional representative for the student-led organisation, which funds legal aid for displaced people in Lesvos, Greece.
ALL donations big or small are very much appreciated. If you choose to donate £12 or more, you will receive an organic SolidariTee T-shirt in a colour and size of your choice (S-XL; Black, Blue, White - I have access to a range of sizes and colours while stocks last). I will cycle to you to deliver your T-shirt myself in April, if you're in or around Cardiff. If we aren't connected on social media feel free to give me a Facebook message and I'll sort the rest. I can also post to the rest of the UK, and seeing as this is for charity I would pop up and kindly ask you for a small postage fee of £2.50 if this is the case. No profit is involved - simply covering costs.
As I say, if you don't fancy one, a few quid in donation would still be wholeheartedly appreciated.
The T-shirt design is based on a collaborate artwork produced by refugees & asylum seekers at Elpida Home, a community centre in Thessaloniki, Greece. The design was created during an art workshop, in which a group of displaced people stood against a large piece of paper, and traced each other's silhouettes. Some overlapping, others distinct by nature - each outline, shape and figure reflects a constellation of diversity, individuality and community.
These tees are produced ethically and sustainably, using organic cotton. They're vegan-approved, and meet GOTS, OEKO-TEX 100 and FairWear certifications, as well as being printed with vegan and 100% phthalate-free, water-based inks. Cool to know.
SolidariTee believes that access to fair representation is a fundamental human right. In the short term, legal aid minimises the risk of an individual who has a legitimate claim to asylum being deported unjustly and brings family members, scattered across Europe, back together again. This aid allows refugees to begin prosperous lives beyond camps, and gain rights to education, accommodation and healthcare.
Sending and funding essential healthcare and everyday items such as toothpaste, tampons or food, is of course vital. Legal aid, however is extremely hard to come by, and without this, a person may not see any long term change in their lives, beyond deportation or simply being ignored by authorities. Language barriers, shoddy bureaucracy and insufficient action by authorities are all hurdles for people stuck in Lesvos - but the funding of a lawyer by small NGOs can help keep families together and provide a stepping stone towards basic needs and a route to a life like mine or yours. Your money will go towards funding something different, yet unspeakably important in the long run. These people are humans - adults and children, with a right to life as much as me and you.
If you follow the link below, you'll be able to see exactly how your money is being distributed by the organisation:
The SolidariTee | SolidariTee
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.
Follow my progress: cycling updates will be posted regularly on this page via Strava!
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