So... this is happening! 

Please support me as I tackle a whopping 26.2 miles as part of the Virtual London Marathon, all to raise money for the vital work of Acacia Family Support! 

('Virtual' does not mean we sit and watch the marathon at home on the sofa, I have since discovered! It just isn't in London and we get a whole 24 hours to do it).

Acacia is a charity that I want so many more people to know about, because I didn't! I had both my babies very close together in age, and managing 2 little ones was the biggest shock to the system. They brought me so much joy and happiness, but I also had incredibly hard days when I felt I was utterly failing them. At times, it felt very isolating, even with supportive family and friends around, followed by extreme guilt for feeling that way. I'm glad to have got through it in one piece, and now I am a parent of 2 fiercely independent teenagers finding their way in the world, it is time for me to try and give a little something back to other moms, who are just at the start of their journey.

Acacia offers help to mums and families who are suffering from pre and post-natal depression and anxiety, offering one-to-one befriending, group CBT sessions, telephone support and help in the home. Their wonderful success stories are testament to the AMAZING work they do, tirelessly supporting new parents through those tough times, helping them reconnect, and rediscover the joy in themselves and their new family. 

Here is a quote from one of the mums who used the Acacia service: “Acacia family support helped me through one of the darkest and most difficult times in my life. I felt like there was a dark cloud over me. I was overthinking absolutely everything. It got to a point where I couldn’t get out of bed, and I felt like I just wanted to disappear. I felt so alone, so worthless, and terribly guilty that I wasn't enjoying what should have been an exciting and happy time. I went to Acacia for help. I was made to feel so welcome; I was able to chat with the most compassionate people who understood what I was feeling and reassured me I was poorly but I would get better, there was light at the end of tunnel. My recovery didn’t happen overnight, but with the support from Acacia, my doctor, family and friends I slowly started to feel like me again.”

How awesome is that!

I would LOVE to be able to raise enough to help Acacia make even more of a difference to young families in our community. This is what just a few £ can do:

£10 pays for a mum or dad to receive telephone support
£25 pays for a family to receive some practical support at home
£50 pays for one-to-one befriending sessions
£100 pays for a mum to attend a group work course
£250 pays for a mum's entire journey with Acacia

Follow me on Facebook / Linkedin for updates on my chaotic approach to some kind of training regime, blister news, and where we plan to do this thing!

Thanks for reading.

X