Refugee Tales is organised by the Gatwick Detainee Welfare Group, a small charity that makes a giant difference to people held in immigration detention by Gatwick Airport. People in detention are held without time limit in prison-like conditions, which has a terrible impact on their mental and physical health. For 25 years GDWG visitors have been offering friendship to strangers, bearing witness to the realities of detention and making weekly visits to people who would otherwise be isolated. My daughter, Lauren, used to work with GDWG supporting people in detention so I know how vital the charity's work is.

The stories of people who have been detained have been shared in several volumes of 'Refugee Tales' published by Comma Press, and every summer during a 5-day walk organised by GDWG, the stories are shared in evening events, as walkers take up the call to end the inhuman practice of indefinite detention. I walked with Refugee Tales between 2015-2017 and have hosted people who have experienced detention for respite weekends in the Shropshire countryside ever since.

To celebrate 25 years of GDWG and the Refugee Tales walks being a lifeline to those in detention I will be doing a 25 mile tandem ride in the (very steep!) Shropshire hills with my partner John. The work of the charity is ever more needed today with people released from detention to destitution and homelessness and GDWG stepping in to offer support. This is a tough time for small charities, so please show your support for those whose plight is frequently invisible and give generously to GDWG and Refugee Tales. If you are in Shropshire between 3rd-5th July, do keep an eye out for us as we pelt(!) up and down those steep Shropshire hills on a tandem