I’m running the London Marathon to raise money for Strawberry Field’s Steps to Work programme – because they changed my life.

After living in Liverpool for seven years and struggling to find work, I’d started to lose hope. I have a learning disability, and although I wanted a job, I’d been on lots of different programmes, volunteering placements and college courses without any success in gaining a ‘proper job’.

Then I found Strawberry Field (which is run by The Salvation Army).

Their Steps to Work programme gave me confidence, support, and real experience. Thanks to them, I now have a paid job at John Lewis – and for the first time, I feel included. I get to go to work, earn my own money, and be part of something.

Strawberry Field helps people with learning disabilities and other barriers to employment build skills, self-belief, and independence. The work they do is life-changing – and I’m living proof.

I started an unpaid placement in July 2024 and secured an interview for my paid role in Sept. Strawberry Field helped me through the whole process.

If you know me already, you’ll know I love running. Running Marathons is something I can do, to show that having a disability doesn’t have to hold you back. But it’s not just about raising awareness, programmes like Steps to Work also need funding.

So I’m running London again and this time it’s to raise money to help someone like me go from thinking they’ll never get a job… to walking through the doors of their first paid role.

Thank you so much for your support.