I’ve given 9 years, so far, of my love, time, compassion and energy to trying to ensure that local children feel safe in their homes, have everything they need to feel confident at school and can have fun with their family. 

In that time I have known what it means to have no money. I have gone without essentials, sold most of my belongings to pay bills and struggled with crippling fear about losing everything. I have been, albeit only for a couple of months, homeless. But, I have also been extremely and hugely privileged. I have a safety net who stepped in and saved me. So, so many local families do not. If they lose their home, as I did, their only option is to turn up at the local authority and be at the mercy of their housing policy. I still live with that underlying fear though, the memories of the helplessness and desperation, every day. 

I’ve seen so many families, too many to count … desperate for a life without fear, moved into empty shells of properties, not knowing how on earth they are going to survive and my heart breaks every time. These families are my heroes. A week doesn’t go by where I don’t cry tears of desperation and frustration and heartache because of what these fellow humans have to go through. Choices, dignity and power stripped away by the very authorities and institutions that should be handing it back and protecting them  

We help thousands of local children a year at First Days, our warehouse rent, mobile support van and our small staff team, who offer invaluable support to parents and ensure children have everything they need, and buying new items for families costs us around £250,000 per year. 

We have to raise every penny of that through fundraising like this. We don’t get government contracts or have wealthy donors (we’d rather like both but … politics…). 

Every single £1 you donate means we can save families four times that in their household budget. 

Every single £1 you donate helps us on the frontline know that you have our back and want more for the most vulnerable children in our communities. 

Thank you x