True to her style, Frances has decided that the best way to see in her 30th birthday is by running the Verona marathon... and bring me along for the journey (lucky me)! Having previously never run further than 7 miles in mid-September this year, I am slightly apprehensive, but thankfully Frances has agreed to run slowly with me to ensure we both get over the finish line.

This fundraising is a surprise for Frances, but having spent her birthday last year volunteering in Calais, I know it would mean the world to her if we can raise some money for a charity and cause that is close to both our hearts, Refugee Biriyani & Bananas (RBB).

Frances is a trustee of this charity and in January this year she invited me out to help her volunteer in Athens and I was able to see first hand the incredible work they do supporting people who have fled war, terror, oppression, conflict and poverty. Most commonly from Palestine, Yemen, Afghanistan, Somalia and Syria.

Their current base of operations is in Greece, but they have led aid delivery missions to France, Serbia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Ukraine, Belarus border and Northern Iraq. They continue to be a mobile organisation, responding to emergencies worldwide as and if necessary, as well as focussing on supporting people living in refugee camps and other unstable settlements in Greece. https://www.refugeebiriyanibananas.org/

Any donation, no matter how small, would be greatly appreciated.