Only a few people may be aware, my dad went to prison around 11 years ago.  

Prior to that, I lived a privileged childhood and, having a parent go to prison was something I never even considered would happen to me. But at the age of 14, everything changed. I now realise how difficult it can be for many children and young adults when they have a family member or loved one be sent to prison, in some cases it changes the direction of their lives forever, leading them down the same path. If you aren't fortunate to have a support system around you, as I did, unfortunately this is the reality for so many.

To cut to the chase, I know how lucky I am to not only have the strongest dad in the entire world but also the most caring, thoughtful & supporting mum (in addition to all my family & friends) but sadly this is not the case for so many other children & young adults. I have experienced just how painful it can be to have your loved ones be taken away & also have witnessed children going through the same but without the support unit I had.

An estimated 310,000 children every year have a parent in prison in
England & Wales and 10,000 visits are made by children to public prisons every week. Having been one of those, I recognise there is a gap in support for teenagers & young adults specifically. For example, special “family day visits” are only really targeted for children under 10 years old. The opportunity for a teenager to spend more than 2 hours at a time with a parent would be extremely beneficial but sadly is not a realistic option & on the outside some children may have no one to talk to.

Unfortunately, there are few organisations which provide support for
children going through this, however Barnardo’s is one. They run training services for professionals as well as services in the community and in prisons to help maintain contact and support family relationships. They also campaign across the UK to get children's voices heard and their needs addressed, something I hope to be able to support.  

One of the many things Barnardo’s helps with, is encouraging children to talk. This is particularly key as the situation may sometimes feel isolating & many children may feel ashamed or may be scared to open-up for fear of being bullied.

Whilst there have been difficult moments along the way, I can safely say I have come out stronger because of the whole experience. I recall my dad leaving a week before my GCSE’s & prior to that day I had not told anyone what was happening. I had no idea how to explain it for fear of what everyone would say behind my back. Luckily all my friends, including everyone at school were unbelievably understanding and caring. I am well-aware of people along the way that have judged my family & I, without knowing the full story, to later realise they were mistaken to do that. Particularly as my dad is one of kindest men I know & should never have been in that position, however he handled it with grace & dignity at all times. I am extremely proud to call him my dad.

For me, my coping mechanism was to try and make the most out of every situation & achieve everything I intended do – for myself but also as I knew this helped my parents too. There probably wasn’t a day where I didn’t think of the day that my dad walked out of there  & now a little over a year after that day, I am so proud of the 3 of us & how we managed. To be candid though, I wasn’t prepared for the emotions when my dad came out. I ended up going to a few therapy sessions as I had no idea how to deal with everything I was feeling. As such, I can see the mental health problems this situation can cause & Barnardo’s understands just this. Children who go through this are more likely to have mental health problems and unfortunately are likely to get in trouble with the law themselves as they grow up. Despite some children’s situation, they are locked out of the support they need to give them a better chance in life & it can have devastating impacts.

Therefore, this is the reason I am running for Barnardo’s – to join the force and help change the system, support others going through similar situations & raise as much money as possible so that Barnardo’s can get to as many children as possible. So please donate anything you can for this amazing charity.

Whilst my reason for running for Barnardo’s is a personal one, there are a vast array of additional services they provide. For example, Barnardo’s is also helping families arriving in the UK to find safety as a result of the war in Ukraine. As such, this marathon is also in aid of raising money for families forced to leave their homes in Ukraine.

Thank you so much for support in advance & hope to share more details of other campaign efforts in the future.

Lots of love, Grace xxx