I'm running the Derby 10K for Upbeat Communities.

Upbeat Communities is an amazing charity that exists to welcome and support refugees seeking sanctuary in Derby. I volunteer with Upbeat and am amazed every week by all that they do to give refugees in our city the opportunity to rebuild their lives. From providing English classes to offering practical support and friendship, Upbeat walk alongside these individuals showing them every day that they are welcome and they are valued no matter where they have come from or how they got here.

I love this quote from one of the participants at Upbeat Communities - it sums up what they do perfectly.

“When you first land in a country, in this situation, it is so hard. Because, one week ago or one month ago you are a normal person, you have a job, you have everything that you may have. But, suddenly, everything goes upside-down. And you are in a country, you are landed, and you cannot mention about your skills, you cannot work, you cannot have friends so easily because you feel different. You feel foreign.

But, Upbeat makes you feel like you belong to this place now, and you are okay. Whatever has happened to you, it’s okay. It can happen to anybody. And they welcome you in a way that they don’t look at your religion, they don’t look at your skin colour, they don’t look at your background, education, whatever. They just accept you because you are an important human being."

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.