The group of 33 people strong met on Friday 25th March to walk circuits of the green space. Together they raised £458 to showcase their support for Ukraine, which Service Manager Harriet Miller said is close to their hearts. Harriet said:
“Like the rest of the world, we’ve been watching the unfolding events in Ukraine in horror. We’ve seen families lose everything and have their lives destroyed, so we wanted to do something to help. It was fantastic to get together at Locke Park and do our sponsored walk. It was a beautiful sunny day, and everyone put their heart and soul into walking the distance for the refugees.”
Colleagues and people supported at the Barnsley services were doing their bit for a national challenge at Swanton. The organisation aims to collectively walk 752km in aid of Ukrainian refugees and Ukraine support, which is the distance between Kyiv and the Polish border.
Swanton will match up to £2,000 of the donations raised by people they support and staff to add to the grand total. The 99km walked at Barnsley will go towards the Swanton fundraising goal.
Harriet added:
“There were lots of families enjoying the sunshine in the park, and it was hard not to think of Ukrainian children and what they’ve lost. If we can make even a small difference in improving their lives and helping them rebuild, that’s a positive thing. For the people we support, it was terrific to take part in our first post-pandemic outdoor event and get to be together again.”
