I will shortly be undertaking a charity challenge to raise funds to support asylum seekers held in indefinite immigration detention at removal centres at Gatwick Airport.  The welfare and well-being of people during and after their time held in  detention, by offering friendship and support and advocating for fair treatment, is delivered by Gatwick Detainees Welfare Group (who link up with other refugee and asylum seeker groups across Sussex in their work).  I am sure you will all agree that in light of recent events around the country, showing and extending the hand or friendship and support to asylum seekers, refugees and migrants is now such an important priority and enabling groups such as GDWG and others across Sussex to do this is so important.

A key service which GDWF offers is to provid phone credit for detained people in order for them to contact their family, community and support networks including staying in touch with their lawyers. Every £10 phone credit given out once a month to a detained person is a real lifeline.

My cycle challenge is to raise funds specifically to provide this phone credit, by undertaking a solo cycle ride from London to Brighton on Saturday 28^th September (a total of just over 100kms).  As some of you will be aware I was diagnosed with prostate cancer last year, which was part of my reason for leaving Sussex Community Foundation to take on part time consultancy work, and from which I am now pleased to say I am in remission and my medical team have given me the go ahead to take on this challenge.

Please may I ask you to consider supporting  my fundraiser (and to those who have already donated a big thank you), and spreading the word around your teams, and through any appropriate channels.  My Just Giving page is at https://www.justgiving.com/page/adrian-barrott-gdwgcyclechallenge