Refugee Tales is an outreach project run by Gatwick Detainees Welfare Group (GDWG), and seeks to honour those held in immigration detention centres in the UK who ask the charity for their stories to be heard and shared. GDWG visitors befriend those held in detention at Gatwick Airport.
The Refugee Tales walk is launched this year on Saturday 1 July in Egham, and finishes in Westminster on Wednesday 5 July. Walkers will follow the Thames Path, and will take the great legacy of Magna Carta and freedom under the law as a theme.
Around 50 people will be walking the whole route, but day walkers are welcome and it is hoped that many Catholics in the Westminster diocese will join the walk on Monday from Kingston to Brentford, on Tuesday from Brentford to Hammersmith, and on Wednesday from Hammersmith to Westminster.
Refugee Tales is inspired by The Canterbury Tales, and every evening of the walk, famous writers read tales of the refugee experience.
On Monday the pilgrims gather in the Brentford Free Church, Boston Manor Road, where Sameena Zehra will introduce The Witness’ Tale told by journalist and novelist Alex Preston. There will be music from Liran Donin and Ranjana Ghatek and also Mike ‘Dr. Blue’. The evening starts at 7.00pm and is a free event.
On Tuesday the pilgrims gather in the Polish Cultural Centre, King Street, Hammersmith. At 7.00 p.m. Sheila Hancock will introduce Marina Warner who will tell The Mother’s Tale, and Ian Duhig will tell The Walker’s Tale. Music will come from the great klezmer band Don Kipper.
More information about the walk can be found here: http://refugeetales.org/the-walk-of-2017/
Sign up to walk – just £7.50 for a day and £170 for 5 days with overnight accommodation, all meals and free evening events.
Booking is now open. You can book for a day, the weekend or the full five day’s walk. All information about booking and much more about the project is on the website www.refugeetales.org
