Thank you for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

As a lot of people close to me will know, I started my running journey during Lockdown by starting Couch 2 5k. I never thought I would keep it up but 5 years later I have ran numerous half marathons, 10k events and the Brighton Marathon in 2024. I absolutely love running and the benefits it has both physically and psychologically.

I am therefore thrilled and proud to announce that in the last few days, I have recently been afforded this privileged, once in a lifetime opportunity to join Team Embrace.

On Sunday 27th April 2025, I will be running the London Marathon for Embrace Child Victims of Crime (CVOC), an amazing charity who offer much needed supported to children, young people and their families who have been victims of the most serious crime. The ethos of the charity is closely linked to my area of work in Child Protection. I have seen first-hand the impact that crime has on children and their families. Running for Team Embrace is my opportunity to give something back and help make a difference.

Embrace CVOC are non government funded and as such rely on the good will of charitable donations, to provide support to children whose life has been impacted by crime.

Embrace CVOC is the only national children’s charity that provides vital support services to all young crime victims and their immediate families to help them recover from their trauma, rebuild their lives, and reach their full potential. Everything they do aims to help children, young people, and their families recover from their experiences of crime.

Embrace provide face-to-face emotional support and counselling in schools to children who’ve witnessed or been victims of crime. They provide telephone and online emotional support to help young people understand their feelings and rebuild their self confidence and self esteem.

They give practical support to help families, whose lives have been devastated by crime, get back on their feet. Even providing everyday essentials from food and clothing vouchers to books, toys, mobile phones and tablets. In addition, the charity funds days out and trips including Euro Disney. They tailor their support to meet the needs of every child and family who come to them.

Embrace help families affected by all crimes including:

Domestic violence

Sexual abuse

Neglect and child abuse

Exploitation

Violence and other serious crime

The death of a parent, brother, sister or other

close family member killed by a serious crime.

How your donation can help:

£500 could buy a course of 1-2-1 counselling sessions for a teenager whose life has been knocked off course by serious crime.

£250 could buy a weekend away for a family who need to spend time together to kick-start the healing process. Domestic violence can and does rip families apart.

£100 could buy a new school uniform and sports kit for a child who has had to change schools because of bullies.

£50 could buy a tablet for a child to enable them to do their homework online. A practical solution when the family finances really can’t stretch.

£25 could buy new toys for a child who had to flee their home to escape domestic violence. Why should young victims of crime miss out because of the actions of adults?

If you can help me to help Embrace, every pound raised will help to provide vital emotional and practical support to families whose lives have been torn apart by crime. Together we can help them understand their feelings and begin their journey to recovery.

Thank you,

Charlotte