In January 2020, as part of my role as a Trustee of the Cooper Associates Foundation, I was lucky enough to meet Christell Charles of PROMISEworks and hear about the wonderful work they do across Somerset.

Fast forward 18 months and I’ve signed myself up for the Everest Base Camp Challenge 2022!

My why? 

My life has changed considerably over the last few years, and I wanted a new adventure, so this is a leap of faith for me and a year of:

• Health and fitness
• An opportunity  to stretch myself and my mindset
• A sense of purpose aside from my beautiful daughter Bea (the toughest part will be not seeing her for 16 days)
• Inspiring my daughter that age, gender and adversity can’t hold you back from doing anything!
• Exploring Nepal
• Meeting new people - I only know one person I’m trekking with and we’ve just met a couple of months ago :-)
• Reflection and opportunity
• Giving something back

At the core of my why is well-being, meaning and purpose. PROMISEworks felt like a natural choice due to the nature of their work.

Regardless of age, we all sometimes need that mentor or coach to support us to navigate life - just to help us tap back in to what is uniquely us. For many, we are fortunate enough to be able to reach out to family, friends, colleagues or perhaps choose to pay for a coaching or mentoring professional, however many young and disadvantaged children and young adults don’t have this support network or the means and therefore make different decisions that can have a very detrimental impact on their lives. 

PROMISEworks recruits, trains and supports volunteers, to provide one-to-one mentoring to improve the mental health and well-being of some of Somerset’s most vulnerable young people, aged from 5 to 25.  

They receive referrals from schools, other professionals, and voluntary groups, and for a variety of reasons: abuse or neglect; mental or physical health problems; families where parental struggles are impacting on well-being.  

Through a long-term, trusting relationship with an adult, a young person can develop resilience, self-esteem, and emotional well-being to help each “build a life that works". The PROMISE is for the mentor to remain alongside the young person for at least 2 years, becoming a source of support that has been missing in a turbulent life. The young people learn to trust their mentor, something many find difficult having often faced abuse or neglect from those closest to them. 

105 young people currently have a PROMISEworks mentor. However, the COVID crisis has worsened outcomes for many vulnerable families, and they’ve had to double their normal rate of referrals leaving them with a waiting list of around 200.   

It costs around £2,000 a year for a mentor to help support a vulnerable young person. The money raised will go towards supporting local young disadvantaged young people, who feel lonely, isolated and without hope. Young people who are referred to PROMISEworks just want someone to be there for them and help them build a life that works. The money raised will make the world of difference to young people in our community in Somerset.

This is such a fantastic local charity and I’d love to raise enough to fund a mentor and I’m asking for your support.

The trek is graded as challenging to extreme; trekking 12 consecutive days over rough terrain. I’ll be exposed to higher altitudes every day - this is very much an endurance challenge. 

I’m likely to experience:

• Altitude sickness
• Sunstroke 
• Blisters…probably on top of other blisters ;-)
• Parasites
• Insect bites
• Low temperatures of -15
• Disturbed sleep and fatigue

I’ve happily funded this place myself - you’ve probably seen me selling my prized possessions!! The training will be extensive over the next year and despite not having done anything like this before, I’m incredibly excited and proud to support this charity.

If what I’ve shared has touched or resonated with you in any way then please help me to help some of our local children and young adults to have a better trek ahead of them.

Thank you. xx

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