By Meredith Edwards, Chair of Justice for Refugees SA
It is often hard for people who have recently arrived in Australia to know how to link in with mainstream Australian weekend activities. Following the example of Sanctuary Runners in Ireland and the Refugee Council of Australia (RCOA), Justice for Refugees SA trialled a Parkrun at Carisbrooke Park in Salisbury North on Saturday 20th June. This event was held to coincide with World Refugee Day.
We invited recent migrants, refugees and supporters to run or walk together with regular participants on the 5km Parkrun, which set out at 8am. We had a great turn out on the day, with an extra 40 or more people attending. Some ran, some walked the 5km and all were noticeable thanks to donation of Sanctuary Runners T-shirts by RCOA. What was also noticeable was the welcoming smiles and encouraging comments by regular parkrunners. The smiles on the faces of all participants was also noticeable. This is what encouraging a sense of belonging is about. All walkers and runners were greeted at the end with special cupcakes. We are hoping that enough people will want to join future events so we can establish a “Sanctuary Runners” group in Adelaide.
This successful event would not have happened without the collaboration and support of the City of Salisbury, Jonathan Morgan the director of the Carisbrooke Parkrun on the day, Circle of Friends Australia (COFA) and Welcoming Australia. Thank you to all who helped make this event happen. “Sanctuary Runners” was established by a group of runners and walkers in Ireland as a way to include refugees and recent migrants to participate in a mainstream community activity. Paul Power, the CEO of the Refugee Council of Australia established the first of the Sanctuary Runners in Australia to connect people through exercise and friendship. We also thank Paul for his help in organising the event.
Please think about getting involved and/or encouraging others. If there is enough interest, we will hold a walk or run together, initially once a month as Sanctuary Runners. I still have T-shirts available and we can order more.
You can contact me, Meredith Edwards, on the Justice for Refugees SA email or by phone 0458595648.
You can directly register for Sanctuary Runners via this link.
For more information on Sanctuary Runners click here.
