Charity’s annual Sofa to Summit challenge asks supporters to cover 25 miles of Yorkshire Three Peaks in person, or virtually, to raise money for long-term support of survivors
“Our clients want to get their lives on track and start living rather than just existing.”
Liverpool based anti-slavery charity City Hearts, are once again urging local residents to get behind their annual ‘Sofa to Summit’ fundraising campaign, in aid of survivors of slavery.
This year supporters are being asked to run, walk, cycle, or swim the equivalent distance of the Yorkshire Three Peaks in seven days or less – that’s 25.5 miles!
There’s also an ‘in-person’ trek across the peaks of Pen-y-Ghent, Ingleborough and Whernside in the Yorkshire Dales, planned for Saturday, July 9, which is open to the public, and which can be booked here. An early bird sign up price of £25pp is available until June 12 with discount code CHHEROES.
Last year’s successful Sofa to Summit event saw City Hearts staff and supporters raise £30,000, by virtually tackling the 56 miles to the summit of Kilimanjaro around their own towns. The money raised went towards the creation of a Restoration Hub, a place where care items for survivors could be collected and distributed more easily.
This year’s event aims to raise £30,000 for our Integration Support Department, which looks after the long-term emotional needs of survivors of Modern Slavery. The department runs programmes aimed at increasing the confidence, self-worth, and resilience of survivors, so they are able to navigate the world more safely and independently.
City Hearts staff member Jess Bramhall, is busy training for the trek across the Yorkshire Three Peaks in July, and is keen for as many people as possible to get involved.
She has worked with survivors of slavery around South Yorkshire for nine years, and knows the difference that consistent, caring, and high-quality support, can have on the outcome of a survivor’s long-term recovery.
She said:
“The survivors we work with have all been through some awful experiences. Often when they first arrive in our service, they have immediate needs such as shelter, food, health care and legal advice. Once these urgent requirements are met, they then have to work through extreme, and often prolonged, trauma.
“Our clients want to get their lives on track and start living rather than just existing. Something as simple as a trip to the seaside can help provide a break from the daily challenges they face. We want to provide the care and support they need for the long term so they can reach their full potential and live the fulfilled lives they deserve.”
Chief Operations Officer at City Hearts, Steve Watson, is also busy training for the challenge, as he hopes to run the 25.5 mile route of the Yorkshire peaks in less than 6 hours.
“I run in the Peak District fairly regularly,” he said. “But never as far as 25 miles, so I’m trying to get some longer training runs in!
“I would urge as many people as possible to take part in Sofa to Summit. It doesn’t matter how fit you are. You can just walk three and a half miles a day with your dog for a week if you like- just as long as you’re raising money for City Hearts! Every penny really does make a difference to the long-term outcome for survivors of Modern Slavery.”
City Hearts currently runs safe houses across the north of England for people rescued from modern slavery situations such as forced labour, forced sexual labour, forced criminal activity, and domestic servitude, as well as supporting people in outreach programmes across the region.
To register for Sofa to Summit, or to find out more, click here: https://register.enthuse.com/ps/event/CHYorkshireThreePeaks