'Solidarity stroll' raises £1,000

It could be said ‘love was in the air’ for supporters of the Saddleworth Palestine Women’s Scholarship Fund, who met for a heart-shaped walk from Greenfield to Diggle.

The solidarity stroll raised over £1,000 towards the scholarship fund, raising much-needed money to support women’s university education in Palestine.

Around 30 supporters met at the Satellite Centre and separated into two groups.

One group walked from Greenfield, along the bridleway in Uppermill and through the pretty hamlets of Butterhouses and Diglea to the Diggle Hotel.

The other followed the canal from Greenfield to the same destination.

They each returned the opposite way to the Satellite Centre for afternoon tea and cake and an opportunity to browse a stall selling Palestinian goods and locally donated conserves and preserves.

More supporters gathered to hear an informative talk by Jacqui Greenfield and Anne Webster, who have recently returned from a trip to Palestine.

They recounted the resilience of the Palestinians whose day to day struggles with everyday life in the occupied territories of the West Bank and East Jerusalem, are depressingly too familiar.

Anne recounted some of the difficulties they face.

"Palestinians never get planning permission and consequently live in haphazard housing with no green spaces and parks for their children," she said, pointing out that this is in apparent direct contrast to the Israeli settlers.

In spite of such hardships, messages from the students describe how they motivate themselves to study and continue.

In the charity’s annual report, Amal Abdularim Ashour, who is studying to be a pharmacist, describes her studies as ‘the only way to survive and build my future'.

The  Saddleworth Palestine Women's Scholarship Fund committee members were delighted by the continued generous response of their supporters.

Michele Abendstern, one of the organisers, said: “We have been raising funds for the Saddleworth PWSF for about ten years.

"It is really uplifting to see the support for what we do grow over these years."

 For anyone wishing to still donate you can use the group's giveasyoulive.com page here

For more information about the Scholarship Fund, email: saddleworth.pwsf@gmail.com or visit their Facebook page.

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