Limerick locals to team up with Direct Provision residents for Great Limerick Run
LIMERICK people are empowering Direct Provision residents within the county by teaming up together for the Great Limerick Run.
Sanctuary Runners Limerick are calling for runners of all levels to join them in UL over the next eight weeks to get in shape.
Bringing together Irish people and those based in Direct Provision on the one running team, it’s hoped the Sanctuary Runners will be able to enter a team in this year’s Great Limerick Run 10K in May.
Sanctuary Runners will join forces with local Parkruns in the city and county so that members of the team can run together each Saturday morning.
Gillian Fenton, from the Sanctuary Runners Limerick group hopes members of the wider public will join the group.
“Often people don’t know how they can help people in Direct Provision. They don’t know if and how they can meet with them and show their solidarity.
“This is a simple, uplifting and positive way of making that connection,” she explained.
She added that the past two years have been tough for people based in the centres, so the group want to celebrate the fact that they can run together again.
A bus service is running from the Limerick Direct Provision Centres from March 7 until April 25, up until the last Monday before The Great Limerick Run on May 1,2022.
The bus will pick up residents at Knockalisheen at 6pm and at Hanratty’s at 6.15pm to be in UL to meet the bigger group of runners at 6.30pm and will also drop everyone back after the run.
“The Sanctuary Runners initiative is about solidarity rather than charity so we will never ask any of our members to fundraise or donate a cent.
“Blue running tops, sponsored by companies and local authorities, will be given to every Sanctuary Runner for free,” Gillian added.