I’m running my first (!) half marathon on 17 May for Turn2us!

Turn2us works to end financial insecurity in the UK, offering practical help to people who are struggling - from helping people access benefits they’re entitled to, to finding grants at the moments when things feel really tight. It’s the kind of support that can make an immediate difference, while also helping people build a more secure future. They use their first-hand insight to inform research and influence policy and attitudes.

The scale of the issue is sobering: over 1 in 5 people in the UK are living in poverty, including around 4.5 million children.

As a mum of two boys, I find that genuinely hard to ignore. Every child should have the chance to flourish, but too often financial insecurity shapes far more of a childhood than it should. Turn2us is there to shift that, quietly and practically, every day.

I’ve also been lucky enough to see this up close - first as a trustee, and now through the close relationship between Turn2us and Elizabeth Finn Homes where I work. I’ve seen the impact their support has for people at really difficult moments, and the passion and expertise of the team behind it.

I’m not exactly built for long-distance running, so this will be…a stretch. But it feels like a small thing to do in support of an organisation making such an important difference.

If you’re able to donate, I’d be incredibly grateful. It really does matter.

Olivia

“It was a lifeline, helping us navigate a benefits system that felt complex and hostile when we needed it most.” - User of the Turn2us Benefits Calculator