On Christmas Eve 1974, I was taken into Police Protection, and during the early hours of that Christmas morning, I was taken to the first Children’s Home that I stayed in. I was just 4 ½ years old. I was not to know how this event, and the following abuse and trauma I suffered would impact until many years later.

However, on that fateful evening/early morning, a very kind staff member tried to comfort me by asking what I wanted for Christmas. While I was deeply traumatised and exhausted by the preceding events, I remember asking the kind man for a watch. I don’t know why? I don’t think I could even tell the time. After a fretful brief sleep, I awoke on that Christmas morning to find myself in strange surroundings, with many strangers, but I was comforted by the fact this kind man had somehow fulfilled my wish and had got me a Micky Mouse watch.

While the subsequent years were extremely traumatic, I have never forgotten that kind man’s actions, and how he tried his best to provide an element of comfort to a deeply distressed child. To this day, I am so very grateful to him for this memory.

In my book, Both Sides of The Track, I share this story and my experiences of being on both sides of the care system. Of how I transcended trauma, never gave up, and turned it into something good. I trained to become a social worker and I have over twenty years’ experience of working with vulnerable children and their families. I am now an independent social worker and the founder of AnAID Empowerment which provides a range of social work services across the UK.

In view of my own story, and in line with the principle, to transcend trauma, never give up and turn it into something good, AnAID Empowerment – provides support to children and young people at Christmas through AnAID 2 Care appeals. This year, alongside a Christmas gift appeal, I will be running a half marathon on the 2nd of December in aid of Comfort Cases UK. This wonderful charity is close to my heart and is doing incredible things to support our most vulnerable children and young people entering and moving around the care system. Comfort Cases UK is also raising awareness about all issues impacting upon children in care.

While I often run 20-25k over the course of a week, this is typically 5-8k sessions at a time. I have NEVER run 21k in one go. However, in the words of the late great Napoleon Hill, “What the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve.

I will be providing regular training updates and information about my future role within Comfort Cases UK over the following months. All support will be gratefully received.