Brianne and Oliver Jones walked a total of 72 miles throughout September to raise money for asylum seekers and refugees across the UK.
They took part in the British Red Cross’ Miles for Refugees challenge, walking across Nottingham, including Wollaton Hall and Deer Park, Beeston and Sherwood Forest, along with their weekend trip to Cambridge.
The couple, both 28 of Beeston, embarked on this journey to show the best of humankind, reflecting a journey that a refugee might have taken to get to safety, raising £169, surpassing their target.
Brianne said: “Miles for Refugees is one small way that someone like me can give back and begin to understand some of the experiences that refugees have.
“Walking that distance helped me to quantify how far some people have to walk to safety.”
Brianne Jones
The pair chose the distance from Damascus to Beirut, that passes through Riyaq, Lebanon, a route that many Syrian refugees have taken themselves.
The British Red Cross said 1,091 people signed up to this route, travelling a total of 57,575 miles raising £190,183 from 8,778 donations.
Miles for Refugees had a total of six routes that participants could choose from, ranging from 22 miles across the English Channel to 555 miles between Izmir and Dubrovnik.
Brianne is heavily involved with charity work for refugees; she volunteers as an English teacher and believes that raising awareness is just as key as raising money.
She said: “I feel that it is important to raise awareness and money for refugees because there are more refugees today than there have ever been.
“Many people in privileged lives, like myself, never interact with refugees.”
Brianne Jones
“Participating in events like this helps raise money to help them, as well as reminding people that they are real people who need help.”
