Published:
10:56 a.m. March 1, 2022
An eight-year-old girl from Lympstone, who raised more than £3,000 in support of Devon refugees, has been thanked by the charity for her ‘incredible’ achievement.
Betsy Salt originally planned to raise £300 by swimming five kilometers at a local pool in February, but she hit her target in two weeks and kept going.
His fundraising challenge was inspired by a book about a young Syrian refugee arriving in Britain, titled The boy at the back of the class. The book’s author, Onjali Q Rauf, has now heard of her mission and donated, while spreading the word via Twitter.
Betsy with the book that inspired her fundraiser
– Credit: Refugee Support Devon
On Thursday February 24, Betsy and her mother Gemma visited Refugee Support Devon’s Exeter reception center where Betsy received a certificate and book token to purchase another inspirational piece of artwork.
The charity’s president, Jenny Longford, told him: “What you have done is absolutely amazing. This helps us continue our work with refugees around the world.
Betsy with Jenny Longford, Chair of Refugee Support Devon
– Credit: Refugee Support Devon
Betsy said she read Onjali Q Rauf’s book with her mother. He describes how the young Syrian is separated from his family but befriends three classmates who help reunite them.
On her Total Giving crowdfunding page, she says, “I now know so much more about the hard times refugees have been through and the beauty of friendship.
She told Refugee Support Devon: “I love swimming, it relaxes me, it’s my passion. And it’s great what RSD is doing.
Fundraising swimmer Betsy Salt with the book that inspired her
– Credit: Refugee Support Devon
During her visit, she also asked the charity several questions about her work, which Jenny answered.
“When did RSD start?” “2001, so we celebrated our 20th anniversary last year.”
“How many people have you helped? “Something like 1,800 in the last 20 years.”
“Which countries do the refugees come from? “More than 40 countries, the main ones being Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Ethiopia, Eritrea and Sudan.
“How do you teach English? “We have over 30 volunteers, working in groups or one-on-one.”
Betsy saw a book used by RSD to teach refugee children their first words of English, with the title Welcome to UK.
For more information on RSD’s work, visit their website
Learn more about Betsy’s fundraiser here:
Comments are closed.