Every week for the past two years I have taught English language to an 11 year old who came to Bristol as a refugee from Syria. Her enthusiasm and positivity despite her traumatic circumstances has changed my perspective on life and what is truly valuable.

Our paths would never have crossed without Jacari, a charity who connects students to refugees in Bristol and Oxford.

I will be horse riding 360km in 3 weeks (9th-30th May) to raise money for Jacari as a part of their Step Forward campaign. Over the next few weeks I will ride 360km to raise awareness of the journey millions of refugee children are forced to make.

More info about Jacari:

Refugee, asylum-seeking and migrant children are arriving in the UK and going straight into schools with little or no English language. They struggle to settle-in, understand their teachers or take part in lessons. They also can't make friends easily or develop their social skills. Many of these young people have fled conflict and experienced trauma and arrived in the UK with few possessions and live in temporary, crowded accommodation. Having a stable school life is so vital, somewhere they can feel secure and valued and have some sense of normality. But they need to quickly learn English language skills to start with.

Jacari is a small charity based in Bristol and Oxford which matches these children with a volunteer tutor, who visits them at school or in their home every week during term-time, providing them with fun, informal tutoring and building their confidence. Their volunteers are university students who become an important role model and friend for their young tutees.