Secondary school pupils across Salford are joining together for the #ShareTheJourney campaign walking miles for refugees and migrants.

Students from St Ambrose Barlow and All Hallows RC High Schools have recently started supporting the campaign which was launched in September 2017.

The campaign was created by Pope Francis and CAFOD (Catholic Agency For Overseas Development) with local students walking three miles each to address The Bishop of Salford, John Arnold.

Local representative of CAFOD, Steve Burrowes said: “We want to say a massive thank you to the young people who are showing their support for this campaign.

“Over the next year, the schools will come together and show local leaders that protecting refugees and migrants is an important issue to their communities.”

Across England and Wales, supporters have collectively walked 100,000 miles which works out at four times around the world.  

Rosie Heaton, Regional News Officer for CAFOD spoke to Salford Now saying: “More people than ever before are fleeing war, persecution, natural disaster and poverty. CAFOD believes it is time for the world to step up.

Students across Salford have responded to this and are setting a great example to others across the country to step up and make a difference.

Heaton explained that “we all have hopes, fears, desires and stories to share and this is a great opportunity to put pressure on governments to take concrete actions for the rights of people on the move.”

When the students addressed the Bishop, a student from St Ambrose Barlow said: ‘We have come here to Wardley Hall in an act of solidarity with our brothers and sisters around the world who are refugees or migrants; currently displaced.

“We have walked here because Pope Francis has invited us to Share the Journey so that we would feel compassion for those who have had to flee oppression and war.

“We are here to make a difference. We believe that by walking through the streets of Salford people will see our witness and be inspired to be change-makers; being a voice for refugees.”  

Follow the school’s support of Share the Journey by searching #SharetheJourneySalford and join the campaign at cafod.org.uk/sharethejourney or join in by adding your own miles alone or with friends here or by listening to the CAFOD’s podcast as seen above.

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