Walks took place both in Powys and over 3,000 miles away in Palestine last weekend to raise money for Palestinian children to visit the UK

Two good-spirited days of walks were enjoyed by all, in aid of Radnor Palestine Links, who worked with human rights charity Camden Abu dis Friendship Association (CADFA) to raise money for the visits.

Walkers came from the local area and from further afield, all looking forward to seeing the Palestinian children visit at the end of June and beginning of July.

In blazing sunshine, sponsored walkers young and old joined a walk on Offa’s Dyke south of Knighton on Saturday and north of Knighton on Sunday.

Others contributed by driving walkers to their starting points, making sandwiches, cooking and hosting walkers who came from outside the area. On Saturday evening there was a large, shared meal and a quiz so people could see how much they knew about Palestine’s history and the situation at the moment.

FROM POWYS TO PALESTINE: both groups enjoyed their sponsored walks, which helped raise money for future visits to the UK.
FROM POWYS TO PALESTINE: both groups enjoyed their sponsored walks, which helped raise money for future visits to the UK. (Photo supplied)

In Palestine there was also a sponsored walk on Saturday, and some of the children coming on the visit joined their teachers and others as part of the same fundraising effort. As expected the weather is much warmer there than here, and though the valley they walked in was green in February and March, by early May it is already burned to brown.

A spokesperson for Radnor Palestine Links said: “There will be more contrasts than the weather for the children when they come here.

“They will be sure to contrast Offa’s Dyke - a wall that has fallen - to the Israeli Separation Wall that interrupts their lives in so many ways, and the Welsh-English border where no one is stopped to the dangerous military checkpoints that surround their lives at all points, and the beautiful hills with no settlements to the apartheid settlements that have been built all over their families’ land.”

A few years ago, Radnor Palestine Links played a part in bringing a group of Palestinian children over to Wales, then took them to many other places across the country including Lancashire, London, Northampton and Oxford.

FROM POWYS TO PALESTINE: both groups enjoyed their sponsored walks, which helped raise money for future visits to the UK.
(Photo supplied)

When asked at the end where they had liked best, the children answered with one voice: “Panpwnton Hill!”

The group have said they will organise at least one opportunity for local people to meet the visitors when they are here.

Readers who would like to contribute to the costs of the children’s visit can do so here: www.justgiving.com/campaign/buildinghope2022

For more information on the visit, see cadfa.org or write to [email protected]