Story
Dear friends
On 10 October I will be running a half marathon (21km) around the centre of London.
Why would I do this? “Is it just a mid-life crisis?”, I hear you ask. Well, maybe, just a little mid-life crisis. But mainly, it’s because I wanted to raise money for a really good cause, Live Unlimited.
Live Unlimited is a small charity, based in North London close to my home, which supports children and young people who are in care or have been in care - in other words, children not brought up by their own family but who are the responsibility of the local authority.
Before COVID-19, children in care were already at a huge disadvantage. A third of those leaving care become homeless within two years. Over a quarter of the adult prison population has previously been in care. (These figures shocked me when I first heard them.)
The pandemic only made this worse. Children in care generally don’t have have family looking out for them, or a wide circle of friends.
As a father of two teenage boys, I am very conscious that children in care don’t have the opportunities which most children in the UK simply take for granted. Like so many other families in the UK, mine got through the worst of the pandemic with family meals, mutual support (ok, some arguments too) and what appeared to be a never-ending supply of Amazon deliveries. This might not be available to those in, or leaving, care. For instance, those care-leavers in university had to remain in student accommodation during lockdown whilst their peers were able to go home. They simply didn’t have a home to go to.
Live Unlimited does its best, with very limited resources, to support these children and young adults - in particular to help their mental health, reduce their social isolation and to give them skills to find their first jobs. I first became aware of Live Unlimited during Covid when it was fundraising to provide children in care with dongles, tablets and wifi to enable them to access remote schooling during the various lockdowns. The charity also runs weekly outdoor clubs which allow children in care to learn basic outdoor skills, build their confidence and to meet other children in a similar situation. It sets up networking meetings which connects care-leavers with professionals from different industries. It provides driving lessons so that care-leavers feel less isolated and can take up jobs which require a driving licence.
So, the cause fully justifies all the training which I have had to inflict on my middle-aged body and (I hope you agree) fully merits your financial support!
Many thanks
Russell