For those who know me then you'll know it's no secret that I am dyslexic (and for those that didn't know, surprise!) and I did not have a particularly fun or easy time through education. I was fortunate to be diagnosed at an early age and received support that helped me get to where I am today, which I'll always be grateful for.

Dyslexia is one of the most common learning disabilities, with it estimated that 1 in 10 people in the UK have dyslexia, so odds are you'll know someone. It's often perceived that dyslexia vanishes after childhood and education, but that's not true. Dyslexia will stay with a person through their life, with many of their childhood struggles following them into the working world. Dyslexia affects more than just an individual's reading, writing and spelling ability; it can affect how one processes and remembers information they see and hear, organisational skills, language, motor coordination, and concentration. Many dyslexics (both children and adults) often experience low confidence, low self-esteem and may find it hard to reach their full potential without appropriate support. Dyslexia can range in its severity from mild to severe but most importantly no two people with dyslexia are the same.

The support a dyslexic receives needs to be tailored to them, I know this from my own experience and I also know what a difference the right support at the right time can do. This is why I want to use the amazing opportunity I have tackling the 2025 London Marathon to help raise money and awareness for the Helen Arkell Dyslexia Charity, which can help so many dyslexic people and their family's get the support they need.

About the Charity

The Helen Arkell Dyslexia Charity leads the way in providing specialist support to children, young people, and adults with dyslexia and other Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLDs) to remove barriers that they face in learning and life. This means ensuring individuals have the technology and techniques to assist their spelling, reading, grammar, memory, and organisation, thus helping them believe in themselves and achieve success on their own terms. The Helen Arkell Dyslexia Charity supports individuals and organisations by providing diagnostic assessments, skills support, and dyslexia awareness training. There is no government funding for dyslexia, despite its lifelong impact. Fundraising is vital to ensure in-depth assessment and tuition are available to anyone with dyslexia, including lower-income families and schools in disadvantaged areas.

Thank you so much for your support!