Between 10 and 19 May 2016, I cycled 1,150 km in 10 days on behalf of the International Rescue Committee (IRC), bringing to an end the European leg of my cycle tour. As part of this, I climbed just over 15,000 metres on a mountainous route through Croatia, Montenegro, Albania, and Greece.
We raised a total of £4271.66 (£3648.31 excluding gift aid) for the IRC’s refugee crisis appeal, with a focus on urgent projects in Greece and Syria. We didn’t meet the £5k target, but this was still the highest amount raised by an individual for the IRC in 2016.
You can still donate. Please do! The money is transferred to the IRC immediately. Here is the link:
https://www.justgiving.com/IRCUK/donate
More about the story
Cycling 4500km through Europe, I was waved through border controls and welcomed into strangers homes. Many friends and family also asked how me they can make a donation to charity. So as I approached my final destination in Europe, Greece, I asked people to donate money to the millions fleeing war that are sadly not nearly as lucky as me.
More about the work of the International Rescue Committee
Syria region: More than 3,000 IRC aid workers and local volunteers operating inside Syria and in four neighboring countries have reached more than 3.3 million Syrians fleeing violence with emergency relief and long-term support. The IRC focus on health care, protection of vulnerable women and children, education, and economic recovery.
Afghanistan: The IRC has worked inside Afghanistan for nearly three decades and currently reaches over 4 million people in more than 4,000 communities, focusing on community-driven reconstruction projects and education. The IRC also provide emergency relief to people who have been forced to flee their homes by violence.
Europe: The IRC was one of the first aid organizations to assist the thousands of refugees arriving each day on the Greek island, Lesbos. IRC aid workers continue to work around the clock to provide essential services, including clean water and sanitation, to families living in terrible conditions. They are helping new arrivals navigate the confusing transit process and understand their legal rights, and are also calling on Europe’s leaders to do more to make #RefugeesWelcome. The IRC also have a team of aid workers in Idomeni in northern Greece where some 14,000 refugees remain stranded in a makeshift camp due to closed borders. The IRC is providing sanitation services and identifying vulnerable refugees including women traveling alone.
United States: The IRC has resettled 270 of the 1,541 Syrian refugees who have been accepted into the U.S. They provide immediate aid to refugees, including food and shelter, as well as access to the tools of self-reliance: housing, job placement and employment skills, clothing, medical attention, education, English-language classes and community orientation. They are also calling for U.S. leaders to do more, and accept 100,000 Syrian refugees by the end of 2016.