Walk in Solidarity with RSG at the Reading Legal Walk 2026
- Wednesday 9th September | 5:00pm Start
- Location: Forbury Gardens Bandstand, Reading RG1 3BD
Join us for the Reading Legal Walk and support people in your community.
The Reading Legal Walk is a 10km sponsored walk to raise money for our free legal advice services for refugees and asylum seekers in crisis across Berkshire.
Last year we provided 249 clients with thousands of hours of free legal advice and practical help.
Sadly, we had to turn away 81 separate cases due to our staff capacity. Our Casework Service isn’t fully funded and relies on public donations, so please help us fund this vital lifeline that so many people depend on.
Please join our team and ask your contacts to sponsor you, all the donations will go towards supporting our vital work.
On the sign-up form, please select/state this information where applicable:
- Reading Walk
- Refugee Support Group
- Fundraiser
Alternatively, just email fundraising@rrsg.org.uk and tell us you want to participate, and we will add you to the team page.
Hear from one of the people our Casework Team has supported, in their own words:
A Journey to Safety & Hope – Written by Hari
The world we live in today is increasingly influenced by authoritarianism and inequality. Myanmar, the country I come from, has suffered under these conditions since gaining independence in 1948.
In 2020, the military overthrew the democratically elected government in a violent coup. Speaking out against it became a crime — anyone who expressed their opinion risked arrest, disappearance, and torture.
My father was involved in a humanitarian movement that supported people struggling to survive, providing food, medicine, and other necessities. The military saw this as a criminal act. One day, soldiers came to our shop to arrest him. Thankfully, my father wasn’t there, and we fled the city that night, hiding in a rural farmhouse for six months.
Eventually, we sold everything we owned and used the money to apply for a visa. We finally arrived in the UK and with help from kind people, we reached the Croydon Home Office, where our asylum process began.
The staff there were respectful and professional, and we were given accommodation in a hotel. Many asylum seekers find this difficult, but I believe the UK government has done the best it can. Compared to conditions in other countries, the UK’s asylum system provides safety and dignity.
We were placed in Reading — a calm, welcoming town. Life was not easy, but it was peaceful. Here, I met people who reminded me what kindness and compassion truly mean.
One of the greatest blessings was meeting the team at Refugee Support Group. Their caseworkers helped me through the complex asylum process with professionalism and empathy. My caseworker listened carefully and supported me through every mistake or misunderstanding, ensuring my story was heard accurately. I am deeply grateful to her and to everyone at RSG for their dedication and belief in people like me.
Today, as I rebuild my life, I want to say thank you to the people of the United Kingdom — for your generosity, for sharing your home, and for giving us the chance to call this land our new home.
But there are still many families like mine — people fleeing violence, persecution, and loss — who need your help to find safety, rebuild their lives, and contribute to society.
Author’s Note:
I wrote this story myself, based on my real experience. However, since English is not my first language, I used ChatGPT to help me rewrite and improve it. I believe that in the 21st century, learning how to use new technology like AI is important — and this experience has shown me how it can help people share their stories more clearly.
Identifying information changed.
On the sign-up form, please select/state this information where applicable:
- Reading Walk
- Refugee Support Group
- Fundraiser
Alternatively, just email fundraising@rrsg.org.uk and tell us you want to participate, and we will add you to the team page.
Donate to the Team Page
If you can’t walk with us, please donate to support our team and help fund free legal advice for refugees & asylum seekers in Berkshire.
Event Information
Wednesday 9th September
Start + Finish: Forbury Gardens Bandstand, Reading, RG1 3BD
Distance: 10km (Roughly 90-120 mins)
Registration: 4:30pm – 5:00pm
Starts: 5:00pm – 5:30pm
The Route
The 10km walk sets off from the iconic Forbury Gardens, heading out along the scenic Thames Path, before looping back to finish in Forbury Gardens roughly two hours later. After the walk, everyone will receive a free drink.
Click here to view the walk route:
