Sometimes an opportunity comes along that you simply have to try to make happen.
We’ve been working alongside our partners at WAYout Arts in Sierra Leone for a number of years, supporting young people through programmes including Get Equipped, Street to Street and Where Love Lives.
Through that long-standing relationship, we’ve got to know Alfred, Mahdi and Lamin, three talented young runners from the WAYout community who have been putting in the work, competing and producing some seriously impressive results.
Alfred, 19, has already achieved a string of first-place finishes, while Mahdi and Lamin continue to train, compete and improve their times.
Their running journey was originally supported by the Joe Strummer Foundation, which brought young runners together through WAYout and encouraged them to train and compete.
Although the Foundation is no longer operating, the relationships, and the runners’ ambitions, haven’t disappeared. Former members of its team remain connected to the runners and committed to supporting their journey.
So, alongside them and our partners at WAYout, we want to help make the next opportunity happen.
Where Love Lives… Love Now Runs
Our relationship with Alfred, Mahdi and Lamin already goes beyond our music programmes.
Mahdi is currently housed through Where Love Lives, our campaign providing safe accommodation for young people within the WAYout community. We also have funding available to support Alfred and Lamin with housing as soon as suitable homes can be found.
It’s a good example of what long-term partnership means to us.
Support doesn’t always look the same. Sometimes it’s equipment and creative opportunities, sometimes it’s helping provide somewhere safe to live, and, sometimes it’s recognising that someone has put in the work and doing everything you can to help them reach their next start line.
Three runners. One start line.
Alfred, Mahdi and Lamin now have the opportunity to compete again.
We need to raise £1,027 to cover travel, accommodation, race registration and food for all three runners.
We don’t know where running will ultimately take them, and we don’t want to make promises about what comes next.
What we can do is help remove one immediate financial barrier and give three young people who are already putting in the work the opportunity to keep developing their talent.
So we’ve launched Where Love Runs.
£1,027. Three runners. One start line.
If you love running, believe in creating opportunities, or simply want to help three committed young athletes take their next step, we’d love your support.
Every donation gets us a little closer to the start line.
Thank you, Team LNADJ, WAYout & JSF x
