Five years ago, I sat in a school alongside a classroom of girls aged four to 14. They smiled at me, delighted to get stuck into a jewellery-making class and beaming that they could try on and play with all the gems and jewels I'd taken along with me.

The eight-year-old girl opposite me had a scar where her left eye should have been. She'd lost her when she was assaulted by her abuser, and they'd hit her for not performing for them. Next to me, two big, wide eyes smiled at me. They belonged to a four-year-old. Invisible to me, this little girl had Hepatitis B, which she'd contracted through sexual assault as a toddler. The rest of the class all had their own stories and trauma. Something that they'd carry through their childhood and the rest of their lives.

Still, they smiled. Still, they trusted me, even though I was a stranger. They had been rescued by Hope for Justice. A team that would work tirelessly to transform their lives, help them heal and learn to live with the trauma, and fill them with healing hope and trust in humanity again.

This is just one memory of many that, five years ago, put a fire in my belly and made me want to support Hope for Justice and help them continue the important work they do to fight traffickers and transform the lives of those they rescue. Fighting traffickers in ways that matter, such as Operation Fort that you might remember taking place in the UK. While the government goes around in circles on Rwanda's, plans to displace victims and move them out of sight...

"Operation Fort was the largest prosecution of its type in the UK. We were able to dismantle a large criminal network and prevent the exploitation of hundreds of victims. Without the tireless and dedicated work of Hope for Justice, we quite simply would not have been able to gain the trust of the victims, fully understand the criminal network, and achieve the result we did.” - Superintendent Nick Dale, senior investigating officer on Operation Fort for West Midlands Police

What's more impactful? Go figure.

I'm now a Trustee for Hope for Justice and committed to supporting their critical work. I know many of you have supported me before, and I'm so very grateful for all your support.

This year, I'm going again, and I'm going BIG.

My stepdad, Dave Blackman, said to me many times, "You've got legs, use them." I didn't consider myself athletic, strong or sporty when I was younger, but this memory has spurred me on and seeing the strength of others, has taught me we're as strong as the stories we tell ourselves. So, in the last 12 months, I've taken on three of the UK's Three Peak Challenges, and now I'm heading to Africa's Tallest Free-Standing Mountain - Kilimanjaro.

I will hike 5900 metres high, and in doing so, if I can raise any funds to help give hope to others, that would be a rather wonderful thing.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them 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.