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What a weekend: let’s do it again next year!

Over 550 runners took part in and many more came to enjoy small park BIG RUN this year. Next year we hope to do the same and more: 19th and 20th June 2027

From this weekend, everyone will have their own highlight , their own story to tell but nothing exemplifies the magical mix of the weekend than three things:

The juice bar was new this year and a wonderful success. We are always trying to add a bit of a variety that we can manage while keeping the event a familiar and safe place. Especially popular was the fresh mango lassi. Expect an expanded juice bar next year

The Palestine Voices Tent was the core of the Saturday programme and we were so lucky to hear from ex prisoners, Anas, Qutaiba, Umm Jabr, Mahmoud, as well as Sahar Francis whose advocacy is so important and then also from Hiba Murasai, one of the Filton 25. The treatment of the prisoners held by the Occupation in Palestine is brutal and frightening and in an important message Anas emphasised how important it was that we carry on campaigning as Palestinians are so encouraged by it.

And finally, the gathering on the grass bank in front of Meersbrook Hall on Sunday morning, to take part in a zoom with children from Gaza, who in spite of the technical difficulties, displayed patience and resilience (again) to perform a short play about their wishes for a time in the future where their dreams might ‘taste like chocolate’ and ‘smell of roses’. Singing back to them with energy and gusto, we ended with Freedom is Coming and danced to it, in an echo of anti-apartheid in South Africa

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Sahar Francis – human rights defender comes to spBR

We are so excited to welcome Sahar Francis to the Palestine Voices tent as part of our Palestinian Prisoners theme. Over 25 years years she has fearlessly advocated for Palestinian Prisoners and she will tell us about her work on Saturday.

During her long career, Sahar worked closely with the UN Special Procedures system and appeared as a witness in front of the United Nations Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza War – Goldstone, and the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

She makes clear, in the video below, when speaking in Ireland recently that unless we bring pressure to support Palestinian prisoners, the terrible conditions they endure will be exported elsewhere. If ever there was a timely warning of the links between the Israeli occupation regime in Palestine and the rise of fascism and silencing of protest elsewhere, this is it.

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Welcome to our Palestinian guests

As we have mentioned in a previous blog we will be zooming with Mahmoud on Saturday afternoon. We are now really pleased to say more about our other guests.

  • Umm Jabr

The programme schedule is here

Nihad Wahdan (known as “Umm Jabr”):  She was sentenced for 21 years; which were then reduced to three years and prohibition of travel for 21 years. She began formal political and social activities through the Student Youth Movement in 1984.  She is a mother of nine children and she has also worked on progressive legal and social change, including advocating for a woman’s right.

Qutaiba Musallam: from the village of Talfet near Nablus. He spent a total of 33 years of his life in prison. He was imprisoned four times. The latest arrest , in 2000, resulted in him being for 37 years . He was released in 2025 in the prisoner exchange that took place in January 2025 after 24.5 years. He is married and has 5 children and 11 grandchildren.

On his photo in the slideshow above to the left of him is a quite from one of hs novels:

Prison does not confine a body; it liberates a soul.

Anas Abu Srour: we focused on Anas in our newsletter when he was arrested in 2023; at this time his child was three months old. Anas, executive director of Aida Youth Centre, will talk to us about the impact on him personally but also wider social impacts of the imprisonment drive by the occupation forces.

Sahar Francis: We are so lucky to be able to welcome Sahar. She is a Palestinian lawyer and human rights defender, with long expertise in international humanitarian law, international human rights law and international criminal law. She previously worked in Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association for the last 27 years, defending Palestinian political prisoners under the Israeli occupation.

During her long career, Francis worked closely with the UN Special Procedures system and appeared as a witness in front of the United Nations Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza War – Goldstone, and the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

Francis received numerous awards for her work, including the 7th “ Alicia Salcedo” award of Equality of the Oviedo Bar Association on 2024.

Heba Muraisi: Many of us in Sheffield travelled to Newhall Prison late in 2025 and early this year as Heba’s hunger strike lengthened into dangerous territory. One of the Filton 25, Heba was arrested on November 19th 2024 on allegations of being connected to the Filton action . She was held on remand until released in February 2026 after widespread support and activism. She faces trial later this year.

Heba will talk to use about imprisonment as a tool for silencing resistance.

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Spotlight on Palestine Voices Tent

The Palestine Voices Tent this year is dedicated to Palestinian people who have been imprisoned. Imprisonment by the Zionist state is often arbitrary and always without justification, is used as a tool to silence resistance, split families and isolate individuals. Recently, the Knesset passed a new law that will put Palestinian people in prison at grave risk of execution.

One person we will be really pleased to welcome is Mahmoud Masheyech. Mahmoud, a nurse, was in prison for two years because of a facebook post . All his facebook was then removed as it so angered the Israeli state. Mahmoud will talk to us about his experience, but you can see from these pictures and videos the great relief of his release and the immense violence of his arrest.

You find out about our other guests here, read more about the Red Ribbon Campaign in Sheffield in support of Palestinian prisoners here. Find out more about the Palestine Voices Tent here

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Palestine Marathon: we run for justice, we run in solidarity

As we heard over Easter weekend that the Palestine Marathon had once again been cancelled due to the occupation, runners from Sheffield, who are raising funds towards the costs of putting on small park BIG RUN, will not be deflected from taking part in the virtual Palestine Marathon that starts from Rother Valley Country Park on April 18th.

The following day, 19th April, together with Sheffield Palestine Cultural Exchange and cinema Palestino, we will be showing Freedom to Run, at the Showroom on, at 6pm , that tells the story of Glaswegian marathon runners whose eyes were opened to the occupation when they took part in the Palestine Marathon in 2017.

The virtual marathon, similar to the small park BIG RUN DIY event, is a commitment wherever you are to justice and solidarity. We will be joined , virtually, by runners from all across the UK and the World in a single statement :

Justice for Palestinian people and end to occupation and Apartheid.

The Palestine Marathon, which should be taking place in Bethlehem requires, two circuits of the city – the presence of the Apartheid Wall limiting the length of a single route. The event has its roots in the Right to Movement and nothing symbolises more than this physical restriction.

A Right to Movement runner is someone who doesn’t wait for their human rights, but claims them by running with , as or for those deprived of their rights – and tell the world about it though pictures, videos and stories. It’s activism through sport and storytelling (from https://www.facebook.com/righttomovement.org/)

The virtual marathon is a truly international, global expression of solidarity: