SAS Selection Fan Dance for Suffolk Refugee Support

This July, I am taking on the Fan Dance selection route, a 15-mile SAS selection test march over Pen y Fan, the highest mountain in the Brecon Beacons, all while carrying a 15kg backpack.

Although this isn't the first time I’ve entered this challenge, this time my motivation is to support refugees in Suffolk.

Many refugees are forced to travel long distances on foot, often in extreme conditions, to flee danger and find safety for their families. People like Z, who walked day and night for eight days through mountain snow, witnessing people die from cold and hunger, carrying babies for other families, hearing wild animals at night, and seeing soldiers shoot at people. Suffolk Refugee Support works with hundreds of people who have undergone arduous journeys each year, helping them rebuild their lives and overcome past trauma.

As a volunteer for Suffolk Refugee Support, I've seen firsthand the incredible support and advice they provide to refugees and asylum seekers in Suffolk. Your donation will help people rebuild their lives in practical ways, such as helping a family buy school uniforms for their children, paying for bus fares to attend English classes, or providing clothes for those who arrive with nothing but what they are wearing.

£12 could pay for a multipack of pants and socks, giving people some basic dignity.

£17.50 pays for a bundle of 10 bus trips, allowing people to attend English classes.

£35 pays for a new pair of shoes or trainers for someone with no suitable footwear.

£75 could help a family buy a school uniform so their child can settle into school.