The 30 mile Silkin Way run will take place on Sunday 13th October and involve both Chris Child, who is semi retired having previously been the CEO of Energize Active Partnership and Ian Preece, who is both Director at AFC Telford Foundation and also currently the Mayor of Telford & Wrekin. Neither have run a marathon before so this is a pretty big challenge for both of them!
Chris has been helping Shropshire Supports Refugees for 18 months going into the asylum hotels in Telford and enabling people to benefit from an active lifestyle and connecting to community opportunities. Having experienced a lot of people willing to help and encouraging the asylum seekers to join in community activities (eg Telford Park Run) one of the biggest hurdles is that the individuals have very limited clothing and no funds with which to buy sports training / running shoes or astro boots for football. Some of the guys even play in their bare feet but this can cause injuries and further problems for them. Chris has asked people to donate used sports equipment and this has been quite successful although he doesn't always get shoes that match the size of the recipient's feet! If you are interested in donating trainers / running shoes or astro boots (ideally sizes 7, 8 or 9) please get in touch through the Contact project feature above. This fund is intended to complement other donations and help families and men to access local opportunities. They have come from some pretty awful circumstances including war and persecution in their own countries and it can mean so much when local communities show they care. The activity can be a lifeline for them both physically and mentally too.
We also want to raise funds for the Telford Crisis Network which aims to support individuals and families across the Telford & Wrekin borough who are experiencing significant hardship and poverty. Having the chance to get out and enjoy an active lifestyle is important to everyone's wellbeing and we want to allow local people experiencing hardship to have this opportunity too.