February 2023

On 2nd April, I’ll be running the Paris Marathon in memory of my Mum - Eli - who passed away just over two years ago.

I wasn’t going to fundraise this time round, but when I got an email from JustGiving letting me know that the page we set up for the National Literacy Trust before her funeral was still open, it felt like a touch of fate.

Paris was one of Mum’s favourite cities, having lived there while she was at university, and it was her who encouraged me to do my first 10k almost a decade ago. Forever my biggest cheerleader, running was something we enjoyed together and now it’s one of the small ways I continue to feel connected to her. Doing this race in her memory feels like it was meant to be.

As a teacher, Mum was passionate about inspiring a love of reading. That’s why we picked The National Literacy Trust - an incredible charity, making sure every child in the UK has the literacy skills they need to have a good start in life. 

Any donations massively appreciated 💕📚

//

February 2021

Everyone that knew our Mum, knew how much she loved to read. She devoured books, of every kind. In our family home there were thousands piled high, from classics to beach reads, cookery to history. 

When she interviewed me for her MA in 2019, which itself was all about reading, I called her a book monster not a book worm. She had a passion for literature that was contagious, and that shone through every conversation with incredible wit and intelligence. 

As a teacher for over 20 years, Mum dedicated her boundless energy to inspire hundreds of children to read, not just for education, but for pleasure - a way to explore new worlds and excite the imagination. She set up lunch clubs dedicated to Dickens, and mastered voices for many of our favourite children's characters. 

Since 2015, as a Senior Lecturer and Course Leader for Primary PGCE at Nottingham Trent University, she has been igniting that passion in the next generation of teachers. And it takes just one glance at the Book of Condolences set up by her colleagues and students to understand - and be blown away by - the ginormous impact she has had on education. With her ideas and creativity flowing through the classrooms of those she taught. 

Following Mum's death on 5th January 2021, we want to raise money for the National Literacy Trust in her memory, to continue her legacy by supporting their work to make sure every child in the UK has the literacy skills they need to prosper. And, above all, to promote a love of reading. 

In the context of COVID-19, this is more important than ever, with lost learning and educational divides exacerbated as a result of school closures. The latest report reveals that just 60% of children in year 1 were working at their expected reading level in summer 2020, compared with 82% at the start of the pandemic.

All donations will be directed to National Literacy Trust's local programme Read On Nottingham.