When I had my daughter at 19 I was completely lost. I had never held a baby let alone have sole charge of it for the next 70 odd years! I was lucky that I was born into a wonderfully supportive family with sisters, my mum, my aunties and friends. Without their daily help Ella would have probably ended up in care, as I battled post natal depression and poverty. I can’t imagine how I would have looked after her, clueless, by myself. This is the reality of what a difference a supportive network can make.

I know I was lucky to have this support at hand and I know that other people don't. This is where Home-Start HOST come in…

Home Start HOST supports vulnerable families across Bolton, Oldham, Tameside and Stockport. When coronavirus meant we had to stop home visits the team switched overnight to virtual visiting. They have set up online groups, put together activity packs, dropped off food parcels and so much more. 

As lockdown 2 is on us and Christmas is looming I have decided that me and Beaker the dog are going to walk/run/hike half a million steps before Christmas Day! That’s an average of 10000 per day since 5th November.

Funds raised will go towards making sure that Christmas is the most enjoyable it can be for some of the most vulnerable families across Greater Manchester.  

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

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. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.