82 -year -old Equity member Myra Sands, formerly a dancer with the Royal Ballet School, recently completed a 369km bike ride across Cuba. She went together with Iain Croker, Equity’s East/South East Area Official, and fellow trade unionists from Unite and Unison.
The trip was organised by the Cuba Solidarity Campaign (CSC). Equity affiliated with the Campaign last November. The CSC is a British organisation that campaigns against the 62 year old blockade of Cuba, for an end to the US occupation of Cuban land at Guantanamo Bay, and to defend the Cuban people’s right to be free from foreign intervention.
Myra’s trip, which helped to raise money for the campaign and for essential educational equipment, included delivering braille machines to a school for visually impaired and blind children, medical supplies to a health clinic and a visit to the Miramar Theatre in Havana. The theatre was recently restored with funds donated by the Cuba Solidarity Campaign.
Myra says of her trip:
“Having visited Cuba no less than four times before, and loved every varied minute, I’d thought I’d never get there again. But a successful new right knee, which had passed muster on my bike here (in the UK), plus that no producers were beating a path to my door, made doing anything other than cycling round (the country) with interesting Union members a ‘No no!’!”
Myra’s highlights included “the sight of all the department heads at the Cuban TUC (CTC) in Pinar Del Rio: with one exception, ALL women!”.
If you’ve been inspired by Myra take a look at CSC to get involved.
