People who know us have witnessed the life changing impact Coram can have on a family. Ours came from the team of people who worked with us through the adoption process and their continued support. We will forever be indebted to them and are privileged to be asked to fund raise. When our little boy came home, life finally changed for the better. If you’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting him, three things quickly become obvious; that he is so very loved, that he has a way of creating a room full of smiles and that we were destined to be a family. Our son saved us and is our hero. Never could we have dreamed that a child would be so perfect for us and our family. But none of this would be possible without Coram.

I ask you to reflect on your position of privilege during the pandemic. I felt an incredible sense of guilt during the Lockdown; having three meals a day, having resources to home school, being able to talk to family on FaceTime, reading books, playing with my son, our family being healthy, discovering new places on our walks and genuinely enjoying our quality time together. All the while, watching the pandemic unfold and learning how many families didn’t have access to an outside space, did not have support and were not able to provide meals. Then I started thinking about children in care, those who were just about to be introduced to their forever families and were now experiencing long delays and the backlog this would cause. Then I started to think about those children not in care, those who were suffering from neglect and did not have the escape of school or a safe person/place. It put a lot into perspective for me and I have been searching for a way to make a difference ever since. Last week, Coram presented to me the opportunity to fund raise. I have a target of £1,739 for the 1739 challenge, but I would like to get somewhere closer to £17,390! A little overzealous, I know, but my little boy inspires me every day and we are so fortunate to live the life we live and have each other.

We can’t give an endless supply of adopters, foster careers, careers, therapists, support workers for these children, but we can donate. Please donate.

But Coram isn’t just an adoption agency. There are over 78,000 children in care in England. Coram works with these young people. 145,000 children, young people, parents and careers were directly supported by
Coram in the last year. 431,260 children and young people supported by Coram’s education and early years services. 420,500 children in UK schools were helped to make healthy choices by Coram Life Education. 4,000 children and young people in or leaving care were supported by Coram Voice’s services. 18,000 emails and calls on child, family and education law handled by Coram Children’s Legal Centre.

The Covid-19 pandemic has had a catastrophic effect on charity income, and we are trying to help bridge that gap. Coram works to increase the life chances of the most vulnerable children in the UK. They help more than a million children, young people, professionals and families every year. Now, more than ever, they desperately need our help to continue this vital support. With your donations, we can ensure the current pandemic crisis does not hold back a generation of children, and secure a better future for all.

Coram was founded in 1739. I will be doing 56 sit ups a day for the 31 days of October, plus 3 more on the last day to make a total of 1739 sit ups in the month of October.