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Thanks for visiting Steve and Rosie’s fundraising page!   We're raising money for Voice, a national charity working with children and young people in care in England. Our target is pretty ambitious – it’s made up of two combined targets of £1,500 as we’re using guaranteed places in the marathon we have been given by Voice. We hope you will help us to smash this target and raise lots of money for this deserving cause! For more information go to <a href="http://www.voiceyp.org">www.voiceyp.org</a>   To follow our blog go to <a href="http://steveandrosie2012.blogspot.com">http://steveandrosie2012.blogspot.com</a>   Thank you - every donation makes a huge difference!   To donate securely by text:  Text VOIC88 £5 / £10 / £20 etc to 70070 e.g. VOIC88 £10.   Here is some information about Voice:   Who Voice helps: <ul> <li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; color: black; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;">Voice helps children and young people are in the care system, 'in need' (not in care but needing support from local authorities) and leaving care. </li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; color: black; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;">There are now over 65,000 children and young people looked after by the state in England. </li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; color: black; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;">Of these, over 70% are in foster care with the next largest proportion living in secure units, children's homes and hostels. </li> </ul> Why: <ul> <li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; color: black; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;">Well over half of all children and young people taken into care are there because they have been abused or neglected - not because they are ‘troublemakers’ as they are often portrayed. </li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; color: black; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;">On average about 80 children die of abuse or neglect in England and Wales every year, and there have been more than 70 public inquiries since the Children Act 1948. </li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; color: black; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;">The prospects for those leaving care are often bleak compared with other young people of a similar age: <ul> <li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; color: black; mso-list: l3 level2 lfo2; tab-stops: list 72.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;">Only 7% go on to higher education (Department for Education [DfE] figures, 2009) compared to nearly 50% of all young people.</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; color: black; mso-list: l3 level2 lfo2; tab-stops: list 72.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;">In 2010, 38% of recent care leavers were recorded as not in education, employment or training (DfE, 2010). </li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; color: black; mso-list: l3 level2 lfo2; tab-stops: list 72.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;">More than half of young people in care develop mental health problems (Young Minds, 2009).</li> </ul> </li> </ul> How Voice helps:    With support from Voice, vulnerable young people are supported to: <ul style="margin-top: 0cm;"> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; color: black; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Be removed from situations of abuse and neglect </li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; color: black; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Have their rights upheld</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; color: black; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Receive fair and equal treatment and access to services such as education, finance and housing</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; color: black; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Be supported to ‘speak out’ when they are upset about how they are being treated</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; color: black; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt 72.0pt;">Be at the centre of decisions made about their lives </li> </ul> Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

Steve and Rosie's 2012 marathon fundraising page

Steve and Rosie's 2012 marathon fundraising page

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