Rain or shine, till death do us part, a 21st wedding anniversary to remember! - Peckham Rye parkrun #519 - 19/07/25

Burgess on tour!

At 0820 we learned our local parkrun had been cancelled however, amazing public transport meant we pivoted to Peckham Rye parkrun, arriving with 2mins spare. On the startline, with the rain sheeting down, with no headphones my thoughts shifted to this week, where we'd celebrated 21 years of marriage, there was plenty to digest.

The Run Director lifted everyone’s spirit with a shout out to Anna Dabrowski who had come out to do her 100th parkrun, and then we were off. I was happy to be running but cursing the amount of puddles everywhere. I hate puddles. 

I learned about Charter 88, the campaign for a modern and fair democracy, from the then-CEO, Andrew Puddephatt, at a lunchtime talk at my University back in 1994. It had a profound impact on me, culminating in my decision to work for them after I graduated.

It was at Charter 88 that I met Helena Kennedy, then a trustee and now Baroness Kennedy of The Shaws. It is also where I met Shveta Shah, then a bright and passionate undergraduate, who is now my wife. 

21 years of marriage Celebration Day!

Shveta went on to work for human rights organisations, including Amnesty International, and continues to work in the field. With over a decade of service as a trustee at Cambridge House and now on the Board of the Museum of Colour, Shveta has never lost her brightness or passion, and continues to inspire me in her work with human rights defenders and marginalised people. This is mirrored in her parkrun journey, which includes 481 parkruns and 194 volunteer credits. Shveta is a parkrun enthusiast who is always encouraging and supportive of others, including me.  

On Wednesday, we’d been to the Tate Modern, enjoying the art, gazing over London, our home for the past 21 years. I have a lot to be grateful for. 

Emily Kam Kngwarray, Mern - Everything, 1991, Tate Modern.

Then the most perfect anniversary gift arrived. It was an email from an ex-client, a care leaver, whom I started working with in 2017 in my role as a Personal Adviser in Social Care. I’d worked with this client since they turned 18 years old, leaving their foster carer for semi-independent accommodation and a strong determination to better themselves. She aced her studies and secured a place at University, but due to her unresolved immigration status, she didn’t qualify for a student loan. I was directed to close her case to the service.

From my time at Charter 88 I remembered that Article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights establishes the right to education, which started getting me thinking beyond the obstacles in front of us. The issue was how my client could pay the fees. I remembered that Helena Kennedy had set up a Foundation providing bursaries to people with unresolved immigration in the UK. My client didn’t secure a bursary from them, however, they signposted her to other foundations, and we were ecstatic when she secured a full scholarship elsewhere. The decision to close her case was overturned, and with her excellent grades, she could continue her education pathway.  

Knowing about this piece of law supplemented my knowledge of the Children Act 1989. Photo credit; https://www.lchr.org.uk/humanrightsact_background

Today’s email shared that she had passed her degree with a 2:1, but the grade doesn’t tell half the story. This ex-client had endured difficulties. The lowest point was a few years ago when I visited her at the infamous Yarl's Wood Immigration Removal Centre due to an error. Worse still, she was at Yarl’s Wood while being announced as Further Education Learner of the Year Award at her college awards ceremony. That was a visit I’ll never forget. Thankfully, after two weeks, she was released with her focus and purpose intact, shaken but not deterred.  

My time at Charter 88 provided me with valuable tools to assist in my current role. Charter 88 introduced me to my now-wife. My ex-client's email couldn’t have been a more perfect anniversary gift: the gift of celebrating others' achievements, a statement showing what is possible.  

I love my work as a Personal Adviser, working with care leavers, trying to help them to transition successfully to independence and empowering them to achieve their goals, their dreams, their potential.  For the last 21 years, I have been grateful to be married to the most amazing woman, who continues to support and inspire me. Like here this morning at Peckham Rye parkrun in the crazy rain.

We have completed many parkruns, Pride Runs and other organised events together.

A huge thank you to the volunteer team at Peckham Rye who enabled today's event to take place.

Stay safe, happy running or walking, rain or shine.

www.nuhorizons.uk

You can read about how parkrun was created by the founder, Paul Sinton-Hewitt, a care leaver, in his book 'One Small Step' The Definitive Account of how a run became a Global Movement.