Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page. Yes, another JustGiving page. 

While you may have heard me preaching that your money goes further when donated to small charities or grassroots organisations (links below), I couldn't not do my bit to support this fantastic campaign. The message is so clear and so true.

My great-grandfather David Seitler moved from Lubaczów to Manchester to escape the deepest cruelty. The consequences of that moment of courage are immense, and it makes every day a blessing for me. The guy was a whisker away from being a pile of ash and now I drive an Audi and I will never lose sight of that equation.

The fact that his journey came at a time when the British government were doing everything in their power to limit the movement of Jews to Britain is one of the reasons I want to support JCWI. They seem to realise a fundamental truth: that migration policy must reflect the movement of people, not the other way around. It didn't work then and it won't work now. 

JCWI are firmly positioned as the strongest voice on asylum policy and I get the sense that had they been around when Grandpa David was, they would have backed him and helped him on his way. 

I also think this campaign is an interesting one because while it is so fundamentally true that 'people move', my experience working in the sector has also suggested the opposite. While asylum-seekers in the UK are shifted around geographically, they're also systemically restricted in their movement and progress. Those who have been elected to represent us erect massive barriers to progression for asylum-seekers at every turn, whether it's in work, education or in their family life. I have seen first-hand the type of 'stuckness' and personal and spiritual immobility this creates and it offends the moral right of every human to grow and to explore and to live. 

Today people are hunted for who they are and it makes me sick. If our task is to leave the world in a better state than we found it, we have a lot of work to do. Hatred and division fuel displacement and our response to that fact cannot be to adopt the same attitude. We are lucky to live in a place that can welcome refugees and we simply cannot allow the government to abdicate their moral and political responsibility and pander to racism. If our courageous task is to stand up for principles of equality, fair treatment and dignity then, in the context, it's not so much to ask. 

You probably haven't read this far but I'll be running 50km in 5 days because I am blessed with being able to run fast and I want to test myself. I also want to grow fit and strong and start respecting my body a bit more. Every step will be for every normal person who has been thrown into an incredibly difficult position.

Grassroots organisations I really encourage you to donate to: 

Screen Share UK - If you haven't heard me mention this you haven't been listening. www.screen-share.co.uk 

Displaced Collective - New collective giving up their time and expertise to support refugees in Birmingham https://uk.gofundme.com/f/displaced-collective-fundraiser

Hummingbird Project - Who do things very very right https://www.hummingbirdproject.org.uk/

Our Second Home - prioritising principles of leadership - hell do we need them.  https://www.oursecondhome.org.uk/