I am planning to cycle 137 miles coast to coast in a day sunrise to sunset (S2S) from Whitley Bay (Tynemouth) to Whitehaven (Lake District) on Tuesday 28th May ‘24

This is to fundraise for Amos Trust’s projects supporting Palestinians:

• the Gaza Sunbirds, a para-cycling team based in the Gaza Strip.

• Amos Trust’s Home Rebuilding Programme

Amos Trust is a small, creative human rights organisation which works in three main areas; Palestine Justice, Climate Justice and Street Justice.

Gaza Sunbirds

Amos Trust partners, the Gaza Sunbirds, were founded in 2018. Alaa al Dali was an Olympic hopeful cyclist, he, like tens of thousands of young Gaza’s attended the first day of the Great March of Return non-violent protest at the Gaza fence, when Israeli snipers opened fire. He was standing next to his bike at the back of the crowd when he was targeted by a sniper who shot him in his leg which had to be amputated above the knee.

Instead of giving up his dream of representing Gaza internationally, he decided to create the Gaza sunbirds to make his dream a reality for him and also for many other young athletes who had lost limbs from Israeli fire and bombing raids. The Sunbirds team now has 20 para-athletes, who have been training with the hope of representing Palestine in the 2024 Paralympics in Paris.

Shortly after the Israeli attacks on Gaza began in October, the Gaza Sunbirds began to distribute vital aid to their communities, both on their bikes, on foot and using any available vehicles. The situation in Gaza is deeply desperate, with over 1.1 million people displaced. The population is grappling with a dire humanitarian crisis, marked by profound loss and insurmountable need. Despite these challenging circumstances, and thanks to donations, the Sunbirds have been able to distribute essential food, baby packages (clothes, nappies, formula etc.), blankets, duvets and hot meals to communities that desperately need them.

So far the Sunbirds have managed to get 63 tons of food and goods distributed to those who need it, and your support will enable them to continue these efforts.

“For us, just getting on the bike makes us feel amazing. It is essence of our soul. So despite the war, and despite the battered streets of Gaza, honestly I felt like there was no war because of how happy and content I was [on my bike].” Abu Ali- Gaza Sunbirds athlete.

This April, 3 of the athletes managed to evacuate Gaza via the Rafah crossing in order to try to get wild card places to take part in September’s Paralympics in Paris. They are now in Egypt, have resumed their training, are receiving psychosocial support and are working towards getting their visas to compete in the final qualifying races in Belgium or Italy.

The Sunbirds are working against all the odds, but I am fundraising to support them to represent Palestine on a global stage and to continue to deliver life-saving support to their communities.

You can follow the Sunbirds on social media to see regular updates of them distributing aid efforts and to follow their campaign to reach the Olympics - Instagram/ X (Twitter) @GazaSunbirds

For more information about the Gaza Sunbirds, click here.

Amos Trust’s Home Rebuilding Programme

For the last 12 years, Amos Trust has been working alongside local partners, Holy Land Trust And Hebron International Resources Network (HIRN) to rebuild Palestinian homes that have been destroyed by the Israeli Defence Force. These homes have all been on the West Bank, on land owned by Palestinians (see below for more detailed information). Home demolitions, settler attacks and land confiscations are daily realities for Palestinians living in the West Bank, and since October 7th the incidence of these has greatly increased.

This September, Amos Trust will be taking a group out to work on community building projects in the villages surrounding Bethlehem and Hebron. We are working with Holy Land Trust and HIRN to identify suitable projects, such as building greenhouses and play areas, repairing and repainting homes, installing kitchens/ bathrooms, planting trees, clearing land and improving access. The money raised through this challenge will be used pay for this vital building work.

“If we don’t provide the support these communities need, then the Palestinians living in these villages will have to leave their land. If they leave their land, they will never be able to return. The land will be gone - taken”. Mohammed HIRN

These homes are all on the West Bank, on land owned by Palestinians, which was either annexed by Israel in 1967 to form part of Greater Jerusalem or in what is known as Area C. Area C represents over 60% of the West Bank under the Oslo Accords and comes under full Israeli control. In both of these areas, it is almost impossible for Palestinians to build on their own land with over 98% of permit applications refused by Israel. The consequence of this is that these families have no choice but to build without permission. While Israel justifies the demolition of Palestinian homes — through lack of building permits, or as they pose a ‘security threat’, the reality is very different. Home demolitions are more typically used to pave the way for Israel’s matrix of control (the settlements, Israeli by-pass roads, the Separation Wall), and to make it apparent to Palestinians that the land is wanted without its indigenous Palestinian population.

For more information about Amos Trust’s Home Rebuilding programme, click here.

About Amos Trust

Amos Trust is a small, creative human rights organisation working in three main areas, Palestine Justice, Climate Justice and Street Justice. As part of their Palestine Justice work, Amos Trust work with local and international peace activists, partner with grass-roots projects in Gaza and the West Bank, and campaign for Palestinian equal rights, an end to Israel’s apartheid policies and call for an immediate and lasting ceasefire.