Red Cross Journey is a step challenge with a twist, where you will learn about remarkable refugee journeys that thousands of real people have embarked upon. With four inspiring journey options, you can choose the distance that suits you best! You will learn the incredible stories of refugees and international delegates as you progress to keep you inspired. As you take part in the challenge, you can ask people to sponsor you and reach your fundraising goal, helping to ensure vital Red Cross services continue to be available now and into the future.

It can be hard to know which incredible journey to pick. The best choice for you will depend on how you approach your journey. Are you participating as an individual or a team? The 80km and 175km journeys are both achievable for an individual to complete in the 6-week period. They work out at around 2km or 4 km daily on average over 42 days. Will your main activity be running or biking? The bigger distances are better suited to teams or avid cyclists. Are you choosing to count all your activities (for example counting housework, gardening, cycling, and all your steps on a Fitbit) or just one? If you are collecting all your kilometres by using our kilometre conversion chart, then you may be able to opt for a bigger distance.

You can collect your kilometres through your activity of choice – walking, running, cycling, swimming, skating, gardening, tai chi, housework, or even washing the car! Use your Fitbit or download any fitness app of your choice (e.g., Strava, MapMyFitness, etc are free to download) to keep track of your steps. If you are completing activities that cannot be counted like this, use our handy kilometre conversion tool that will tell you how your activity translates into collected kilometres. Please download our guide below on how to add your fitness activity to your page.

Red Cross Journey is running from September 5 to October 17 2023, but you can sign up anytime between those dates! Depending on when you sign up, you will have up to 6 weeks to reach your goal. You can go at your own pace to complete your challenge, and we will be here every step of the way to support you!

Red Cross Journey is for everyone. Red Cross helps everyone, and anyone can join the Red Cross whānau to help others. It’s important to us that Red Cross Journey is accessible to all. If running or walking is not for you, you can do the distance in any way that works for you. Check out how Matt participated in Red Cross Journey in his own way.  If you have any questions or concerns about how Red Cross Journey could work for you, please contact us at journey@redcross.org.nz.

While you take on the challenge, you can ask your friends, family, classmates, or colleagues to sponsor you. You can ask in person, via social media, email, or any way that feels right for you. Some people like to organise their own fundraiser, like a bake sale at the office, making hand-made treasures to sell, or your own idea! Remember to keep everyone updated on how you are doing by sharing photos on social media and thanking them for their support once they have donated. See below for four easy tips to start you off!

Absolutely! You can create a team with your friends, whānau, classmates, or colleagues. It is a great opportunity for team building in any environment. If you are a school group, please get in touch directly with us at journey@redcross.org.nz, for your discount code for free entry and specialised resources.

Red Cross Journey is the perfect event for schools! It can promote friendly competition and team bonding, while also being educational. Your school will learn about important global events and get to know the stories of some of the people who have been affected by disaster or conflict. It’s free to join for school groups – all you need is a team captain to sign up your team (teacher or student). Your school will learn about the global migration crisis while following a virtual journey. Through stories and discussions, students will develop a better understanding of the experience of refugee-background Kiwis who have been forced to flee to find safety. Contact journey@redcross.org.nz to get your school discount code and toolkit.

If you have issues syncing your app, try logging out and reconnecting. For Fitbit users, make sure you ‘start’ an activity on your phone app (not your wearable device) and save it. Your activities on your wearable device will not automatically add to your page unless you start the activity on the app first. If you have any questions throughout the campaign, please get in touch journey@redcross.org.nz.