Emdad Rahman: Primary school friends Leo and Rafi are running all 53 Parkruns within the M25 for Together in Barnet because they want to make a difference in their community.
The pair recently visited East London to take park in Barking Parkrun.
Both Leo and Rafi will be 13 years old in 2019. As Jews, this is seen as the time that they “come of age” and they will fulfil the ritual of Bar Mitzvah.
The teenagers will then be seen as being old enough to be accountable for their actions. Leo and Rafi believe that an important part of becoming Bar Mitzvah is learning to take responsibility and caring for the people and the community.
They said, “Homelessness is an issue which we both feel very sad and angry about. We know that others have not had the opportunities, safety, respect and support that is taken for granted and have decided to take on the Parkrun challenge because we want to make a difference to homelessness in our local community.
“We have chosen our local homeless shelter where we help out with cooking tasks. When we are s little older we will take on more roles. We are really enjoying the challenge and lots of people have been interested in what we’re doing.”
Together in Barnet runs a night shelter for vulnerable people during the winter months offering them a safe, warm place to sleep and also works with the day centre Homeless Action In Barnet.
Donation link… https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/leo-rafi