Lois Farnie

Lois's fundraiser for The National Association For Children Of Alcoholics

Fundraising for The National Association For Children Of Alcoholics
£1,386
raised of £500 target
Donations cannot currently be made to this page
Northumberland Coast Marathon Hike , 13 April 2024
In memory of My Dad, Michael
We provide information, advice & support to everyone affected by a parents drinking

Story

On 13th April 2024 me, Mark and my amazing friends will be walking the Northumberland Coast Marathon in memory of my Dad and to raise money for Nacoa. The 26 mile walk will start at Alnwick Castle then along the beautiful coast of Northumberland, finally finishing at Bamburgh Castle.

I am choosing to support Nacoa as my Dad was an alcoholic and sadly his struggle took him away from us in July 2022, far too soon. Grieving my Dad is something I carry every day and it infiltrates every aspect of my life. I will never get over the trauma of living with a parent with addiction, but I am very slowly learning to process it.

Many people don’t think that addiction is that common but, sadly, it has impacted our family more than once. What many of you won’t know is that my Mum and Ben also lost their Mum (my Grandma) to addiction too. It is a cruel and devastating illness, that impacts not only the one with the illness but everyone around them.

I was and still am lucky to have a great support network around me, some of which are joining me on the walk, but it is estimated that 1 in 5 children in the UK are affected by their parents drinking, often leaving them feeling isolated and alone with no one to turn to.

Nacoa (The National Association for Children of Alcoholics) is a Bristol based charity founded in 1990 to provide help and support for everyone affected by a parent’s drinking.

They believe that every child has the right to a happy childhood and to live a creative and meaningful life but when drink is the family secret they are more likely to experience family violence, neglect and other problems in their own homes.

So I am doing this for me, for Lily Dixon, for Jayne Dixon Bamling, for Ben Bamling and for all of the children of alcoholics, irrespective of age.

I want to end the stigma around talking about addiction and break the silence for those that can't, either because they are not ready or are no longer around to do so 💔

If you’re living in silence, please know you’re not alone, there is help out there and lots of people who understand. Equally, if you’ve broken your silence, keep going, keep asking for help and keep sharing your story. It really will make a difference.

Share this story

Help Lois Farnie

Sharing this page with your friends could help raise up to 3x more in donations

You can also help by sharing this link on

About the charity

1 in 5 children in the UK are affected by their parents' alcohol problems. They are often frightened and isolated, with no one to turn to for help. Nacoa responds by providing a free, confidential telephone, 1-2-1 chat and email helpline.

Donation summary

Total raised
£1,385.41
+ £325.75 Gift Aid
Online donations
£1,345.41
Offline donations
£40.00

* Charities pay a small fee for our service. Find out how much it is and what we do for it.