In January 2023 I’m competing in a gruelling four-day Arctic adventure to raise money for my passion of giving children in the UK the very best start in life. 

I’m fundraising for the National Literacy Trust which works
to give children better prospects in their education, health, and employment.

I’m Head of Early Years at the charity and I know parents want the best for their children but don’t always have the skills, confidence, and resources to know how to support their children’s learning at home. That’s why we are working across the UK, sharing our learning and expertise to empower parents to make a lasting impact on their children’s lives.

We know:

• Children born into communities with some of the worst literacy challenges have some of the lowest life expectancies in England

• 1 in 8 disadvantaged children in the UK don’t own a single book

• 3 in 10 children leave primary school unable to read well, this rises to almost half (44%) of disadvantaged children

• The UK’s poorest children start school 19 months behind their wealthier peers in language and vocabulary – many of them never catch ups gap.

In January 2023 I’ll be travelling to Lapland’s Arctic tundra, and sledding 35km with my own team of huskies to a wilderness lodge where I’ll learn how to navigate in the most hostile of conditions before taking on a 25km Nordic skiing challenge in near darkness.

Along the way I’ll complete challenges in orienteering, fire lighting and ice fishing, while caring for my team of dogs.

Your support will spur me on to complete the challenge but more importantly will support our work with partners around the UK to change children’s lives for the rest of their lives and help them reach their full potential.

I appreciate every single donation and thank you all for your support. Please donate if you can and please share with your networks and
contacts.