As someone who works in publishing and has had a lifelong love of stories, I know just how powerful literacy can be in shaping a child’s future.

That’s why I’ve signed up for The Arctic Challenge, an endurance adventure that involves dog sledding, ice fishing, and hiking through one of the harshest environments on Earth.

I’m taking on this challenge because I believe no child’s potential should be limited by the circumstances they’re born into.

Right now in the UK, children from the most disadvantaged backgrounds start school an average of 19 months behind their more privileged peers. That early gap in literacy affects everything:

- They’re 5 times more likely to fall behind in English by age 11

- 4 times more likely to be unemployed at 34

- And 3 times more likely to experience mental health issues as adults

The money I raise will go directly toward changing those stories—helping children get the literacy support they need to thrive.

This cause is deeply personal to me. I have always been fiercely passionate about the power of words and I believe every child, no matter their background, deserves access to that same power.

Thank you so much for your support!