Help Me Break the Cycle – Sponsor Hope for Children of Alcoholics

Addiction – and especially Alcoholism – is a devastating disease. It doesn’t just consume the lives of those caught in its grip; it tragically reaches into the lives of the most innocent – the children.

A shocking 1 in 5 children in the UK are affected by a parent's drinking. Behind that statistic are countless young lives shaped by fear, shame, neglect, and silence.

I know this pain all too well – because I lived it from the other side.

My battle with alcoholism cost me everything – my health, my home, my sense of self. But the deepest wounds were those endured by my beautiful daughters. The trauma they experienced is something no child should ever have to carry. Unlike the over 10,000 lives lost to addiction each year, I survived – just. And now, I’ve made it my life’s mission to give back and to help others find the light in their darkest moments.

Today, I work as a Support Worker in an addiction centre. I volunteer my time to support local recovery groups in Hillingdon and help train GPs in understanding addiction. And now, I’m taking one bold step further.

On 8th August 2025, I will be throwing myself – quite literally – into this mission by undertaking the UK’s highest tandem skydive at 15,000ft with North London Skydiving to raise funds for a cause that is deeply personal to me: NACOA – The National Association for Children of Alcoholics.

NACOA is a small but extraordinary Bristol-based charity that provides critical support to children who are suffering in silence because of a parent's drinking. They believe every child deserves a happy, safe, and meaningful childhood – and so do I. They reach these children through powerful initiatives, including their inspiring Schools Programme, which I will be proudly joining as a volunteer.

This is where I need your help.

I’ve launched this fundraising page on JustGiving, and I’m asking – from the bottom of my heart – for your support.

Your sponsorship, no matter how big or small, will go directly to helping NACOA reach more children, provide more lifelines, and change more futures. Together, we can help rewrite the story for a generation of children who didn’t choose this, but who deserve so much more.

Please sponsor my skydive and help me raise awareness, funds, and hope.

Let’s give children the childhood they deserve.

With courage, purpose, and gratitude,

Matthew

@NacoaUK