The Big Swim for Refugees

As a team of 6 very amateur swimmers we will be attempting a charity relay swim of a total distance of 21 miles as part of Refugee week 2021.  We chose 21 miles as this is approximately the distance of the English channel which many refugees and asylum seekers have attempted to traverse to flee fear, persecution and war to reach our safer shores. Many have tragically died on this journey. We are doing this swim in memory of those nameless people who have lost their lives to reach safety. We want to raise awareness and much needed funds for refugees and asylum seekers living in our communities. Each one of us will be swimming approx 5.6Km ( equivalent to 280 laps of a 20m pool) in open water in a lake at St Aiden's Nature reserve on June 12th as part of Refugee week UK ( 14th-20th June 2021). We will aim to complete this distance in one go with friends and family cheering us along lakeside.

We will be raising much needed funds for Leeds Asylum Seeker Support Network (LASSN). LASSN have had much of their funding streams cut off due to COVID and need ours and your help. With a base of nearly 1000 volunteers, LASSN supports approximately 780 refugees annually in Leeds. They coordinate projects such as befriending refugees and asylum seekers lasting 6 weeks to 1 year, hosting a refugee at home (paused in COVID), teaching English and many more. The money you donate will go directly to them. Sven is a trustee and treasurer for LASSN so has inside knowledge of the amazing work they do for refugees and asylum seekers. 

For more info on LASSN or how to become a volunteer please see below. 

https://lassn.org.uk/about/
 
Thank you so much for your time and support!! Now please click the button below to donate, turn up on the day to cheer us, participate in our cake stall or spread awareness of LASSN and other refugee and asylum seeker support services in our communities as part of UK Refugee Week 2021. 

Love Suesanne, Jess, Vicky, Sven, Iain and Ash. 
xxxxx