I started running during lockdown and it has been a bit of a start stop journey. I have committed to supporting this fab charity as I feel I may well back out of this year's GNR  if I didn't have a goal to work towards. So here we are 7 weeks before the event. Runners usually have a PB ( Personal best) goal they work towards - mine is to complete the Great North Run on the same day I start it !! This giant challenge for me is nothing in comparison to the amazing Handcrafted trainees who overcome mega mountains on a daily basis. Your support would be amazing , thank you Eileen  xx

Handcrafted provide people with an opportunity to take part in meaningful activities within a positive community, and to turn their own lives around for the better! Whether it be through woodwork, cooking or crafts, their aim is to empower people to see their potential and achieve things they never thought they were capable of. In 2020, they started to run Women’s Groups to support people who would benefit from female-only support, mostly from a background of domestic abuse, but the women also face multiple disadvantages like addictions, poor mental health, and previous offending history. Their Women’s Groups have grown at a staggering speed, and they now support almost 90 women! I am raising funds to go towards the cost of materials for these Women’s Groups because I have seen the life transforming work that takes place in each of them.

“They have turned my life around. I am a confident, sassy lady now, with a whole new Handcrafted family whom I love with all my heart. I owe everything to this organisation. Thank you for getting me back to being a worthwhile human.” – Women’s Group trainee