Hey Everyone__

I am running the 10K at Brighton Marathon Weekend to raise money for Team Domenica - a charity equipping people with learning disabilities and autism with the skills, confidence and independence they need to gain meaningful employment and thrive.

The charity is super local and very much part of the fabric of Brighton, with their cafe enroute to my studio and The North Star pub on my run to the beach.

So why did I choose Dominica out of the all the amazing charities out there?

Well, here's my honest answer; it's a challenging path for parents and carers for children with learning difficulties. What's going to happen today is probably where most parents are at... and as for tomorrow, that's probably going to change or turn out different, so planning or simply allowing yourself to think about what will happen in the future, just sometimes feels out of reach and a place that is hard to figure out... because it looks totally different from what you imagined, and deep down there is a growing understanding that tough decisions will need to be made.

So, discovering and learning about Team Domenica, has helped me to shift and to change my outlook. Whilst I accept that my son Jude is not going to be in position down the line to benefit directly from the amazing work that Domenica does... I do feel that Domenica Team can give candidates and parents hope, and something positive to head towards... a little of ray of hope that one day it is possible to achieve the small joys that independence can bring.

This has to be a good thing and if all I need to do is pull up socks and push myself to complete 10K to help the amazing work continue, then I am in. I hope that you might like to support my effort and sponsor me to help the good work continuing.

Ps. Incase you're wondering, I am planning to recover at The North Star after the run! Please if your around then please meet me there after the run.

What they do works. Candidates undertake a two-year employment programme that combines classroom education, enrichment activities, and real-world training in their cafes and pub. And Team Domenica partners with local businesses to provide accessible work experience, internships, and job opportunities.

The results speak for themselves:

•⁠ ⁠In England, less than 5% of people with learning disabilities are in employment.

•⁠ ⁠At Team Domenica, 75% of candidates find paid work through their Supported Internship Programme.

•⁠ ⁠And 86% of these young people maintain their roles for at least two years.