Two boys play football on a former minefield, which was cleared by MAG (Sean Sutton/MAG)

Student raising money for Manchester-based landmine charity

  • Richard Outram is walking 25 miles from Oldham to University of Bradford 
  • Walk will raise money to help Manchester based anti-landmining charity Mines Advisory Group remove landmines in Angola
  • On Sunday it will be 21 years since MAG won the Noble Peace Prize

A student from Manchester is completing a charity walk to raise money for a Manchester based anti-land mine charity this weekend.

Peace activist Richard Outram is completing a 25-mile ‘Pole to Pole’ walk from Oldham to the University of Bradford to raise money for the Mines Advisory Group, which is removing landmines in Angola.

He said: “I became a peace activist six years ago when I heard about the pledge to peace – an EU initative involving institutions such as councils and churches who pledge to put in place projects and actions promoting a culture of peace.”

Since becoming a peace activist in 2011, the fifty-one year old has set up the pledge to peace forum in Oldham which has 50 members so far.

The walk starts on Saturday at the peace pole in Dunswood Park, Oldham, and end on Sunday at the peace pole at the University of Bradford.

Richard said: “I have a personal connection to both places because Oldham’s my hometown. The town’s council is the only council in the UK to sign the peace pledge. Also, I study peace studies at the University of Bradford”.

The timing of the walk is particularly significant because Sunday marks the 20th anniversary of the Mines Advisory Group being awarded the Noble Peace Prize.

 

Richard’s walk is part of the Mine’s Advisory Group’s walk without fear campaign which aims to raise awareness of the work being done to clear landmines from countries affected by conflict and the positive impact this has had on people’s lives.

Ellie Coult, community fundraiser at MAG, said: “MAG’s Walk without Fear appeal is a wonderful opportunity to raise money to clear more landmines for families in Angola”.

The UK Government will be doubling all donations to the Mines Advisory Group until Christmas Eve.

Richard’s just giving page can be found here: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/richard-outram