Refugee week is a festival where we celebrate compassion and connection, and everyone is welcome.
Centred around World Refugee Day on June 20th, events will take place across the country all week to mark Ireland’s first Refugee Week.
Sanctuary Runners are marking this national first by bringing their Sanctuary Runners Ennis group to John O’Sullivan Park on Lees Road and inviting friends from across the county and midwest to join them to run / jog/ walk in solidarity, friendship and respect. All runners/ walkers/ joggers will get one of the iconic Sanctuary Runners blue t-shirts and can run/ walk the 5km route, with light refreshments, chats and fun afterwards.
Graham Clifford, founder and CEO of Sanctuary Runners will join the group on the day: “For this national first, we invite all Clare residents, be they new arrivals or life long Banner supporters, to join us and show compassion in action as we run and walk together. Just the simple act of wearing the blue tshirt together, showing that we run as one is a great example of the solidarity our communities can show.”
With support from Clare Immigrant Support Centre, Clare Local Development Company and Clare Sports Partnership, Sanctuary Runners have invited communities from across the county to come together and celebrate the strength in our diversity. The event will welcome Ukrainians making their home in the midwest, as well as migrants from across the world and the local Irish community.
The John O’Sullivan Park in Ennis is a fitting space for the event as John O’Sullivan was a huge advocate for the importance of sport in creating community. It’s fitting that the underlying message of the unifying power of sport to create friendships is reflected in our venue.
Post run there will be an opportunity to socialise and chat, and we hope everyone leaves feeling connected to a wider community, feeling part of a bigger movement and feeling seen and recognised for their worth and contribution.
Clare runners and joggers have had great fun across the county through their involvement in the award-winning solidarity-through-sport initiative, founded in Cork in 2018. Since starting in Clare, members from across towns and county have come together locally, as well as at parkruns and events across the country to get outdoors and exercise together, building friendships and connections among the group.
With the recent appointment of Jennifer O’Brien as the Regional Development Officer for the Midwest, Sanctuary Runners are building on the excellent work of participants across the region over recent years and look forward to growing in Clare and beyond.
Jennifer O’Brien, Regional Development Officer Midwest : “Having worked in Clare for the past number of years with community groups, I have a great appreciation for Clare’s huge spirit of volunteerism, of getting involved and in being a resilient and strong community who supports their neighbours and community members. We all recognise the benefits of exercise, and with Sanctuary Runners our efforts make impact beyond just ourselves; our friendship and respect extends to others across communities when we do these activities in our blue Sanctuary Runners t-shirt with one of the local groups. It’s a small action with a big impact.”
Anyone interested in joining Sanctuary Runners can email clare@sanctuaryrunners.ie for more information and find out how to get your t shirt. You can also contact Regional Development Officer Jennifer O’Brien: jennifer@sanctuaryrunners.ie / 087 6993228.
More info on Sanctuary Runners at our website: https://sanctuaryrunners.ie/