The Green Card for Europe is an award-winning initiative by the citizens' rights group New Europeans and I am proud to be supporting the campaign.
As an EU27 citizen living in the UK, the Green Card would give me proof of my settled status. It will help me and millions like me counter the kind of day-to-discrimination that I experience because there is a still a perception in the UK that our rights to stay in the UK post Brexit are uncertain.
Britons resident in the EU would benefit from a Green Card because it would give them back their right to freedom of movement post Brexit. As things currently stand, Britons living in the EU state would have the right to stay where they are currently living but not to move freely to another member state in the EU.
My commitment is to cycle 2,000 kilometres from my home in Somerset to Santiago de Compostela in Spain to raise funds for the New Europeans Green Card campaign.
You can read about my journey in the Brussels Express:
2,000 kilometres for a Green Card for Europe
Or in The Connexion
2,000 kilometres to boost Green Card proposal
For the last ten years, I have worked for a charity in Somerset that supports individuals and their families from Poland, Lithuania, Portugal and other member states of the European Union
As a result of this work, hundreds of children and young people have been able to go on to further education in and outside Somerset in England. I could see that my work helped of thousands to integrate in the new place. As a Race Equality champion together with local councils, police, NHS we could implement new policies, which had positive impact on access to services for everyone.
During the time I spent working in Dorset and Somerset, I saw first hand how the environment changed, from one which was open to citizens from other EU member states like Poland, where I was born, to one where many of us no longer feel welcome.
I will be cycling for #the5million, including hundreds of individuals and families I know whose lives are affected by Brexit.
All my expenses are covered, so everything I raise will be for the Green Card campaign.
Follow my journey on facebook and please give what you can to make sure this important campaign for an Green Card for Europe succeeds.