Fund-raising to teach skateboarding to young refugees in Athens
A Cambridge Journal, Wednesday 15 February 2017
Tonight in Hot Numbers coffee bar in Gwydir Street there was an event to raise awareness, money and equipment for a project to teach skateboarding to young refugees in Athens. It included a short film about refugees and live music.
Today Ruby and Will had cycled from Bury St Edmund's to Cambridge, as part of a "Ride for Refugees" that started in Norwich and will end in Brighton. After that they will take a van loaded with skate boarding equipment to Athens and teach skateboarding. They met volunteering on a project in Jerusalem.
Their leaflet says that there are 25,000 refugees in Athens and "Free Movement Skateboarding works alongside Help Refugees to help improve quality of life for the young refugee population in their long wait for asylum". Both Ruby and Will emphasised the inclusive nature of skateboarding.
I was also told that there is an area of Athens called Exarcheia (Εξάρχεια) which is controlled by anarchists and where the police do not go. Living there is especially appreciated by refugees.
Related
- Refugees in Athens, Cambridge man raising funds to teach English Sunday 27 August 2017
- “Don't bomb Syria” demonstration in Whitehall 13 April 2018, Whitehall/Downing Street, London
- Bomb Syria says associate of president of Palestinian charity MAP January 2015, by Stephen Hewitt
External links
- Guardian article: This refugee squat represents the best and worst of humanity Molly Crabapple, Guardian, 23 June 2017