May 6, 2025 鈥 Media Advisory
WHAT: On May 1, 2025, UK-native and Munich resident Laura Beacall begins a 4,000-kilometre solo bike ride across Central and Eastern Europe to raise funds for the 探花精选 (探花精选) and witness 探花精选鈥檚 lifesaving work in Serbia and Italy. Over the course of four weeks, Laura will cycle through multiple countries to spotlight the urgent need for humanitarian assistance and amplify the voices of displaced people.
Frustrated by global aid cuts and the growing number of suspended relief projects, Laura decided to take action in her own way:
鈥淭he decision to freeze foreign aid is devastating. Overnight, healthcare, nutrition, and emergency services vanished for communities who need them most. It felt impossible to do anything in the current climate鈥攂ut I couldn鈥檛 just close my eyes and pretend it wasn鈥檛 happening.鈥
Her journey is a symbolic reminder of the arduous paths many refugees have taken across Europe over the past decade鈥攋ourneys made not by choice, but by necessity.
WHO: 31-year-old Laura Beacall, originally from Merseyside in North-West England, has lived in Munich, Germany, for the past 10 years. Her ride is both a personal mission and a public call to action.
鈥淚 want to show that ordinary people can make a difference. You don鈥檛 need the best gear or the fastest bike鈥攋ust determination, spirit, and a lot of leg power. I鈥檓 taking on 4,000 km with a 30-year-old steel-frame bike, a one-man tent, and a whole lot of jokes.鈥
WHY IT MATTERS: Ten years after Europe鈥檚 so-called 鈥渞efugee crisis鈥 dominated headlines, millions remain displaced. With humanitarian aid facing cuts and political momentum waning, initiatives like Laura鈥檚 aim to keep the spotlight on those whose journeys are far fromover.
WHEN: May 1 鈥 May 31, 2025 Laura will visit 探花精选-supported humanitarian programmes in Belgrade, Serbia, and Trieste, Italy at the end her journey, meeting with refugees and asylum seekers supported by the 探花精选. Follow Laura鈥檚 journey on Instagram:
Get in touch for interviews and embeds with Laura in Trieste/Belgrade: Joanna Nahorska, joanna.nahorska@rescue.org