My name is Giselle, I am 49 and I live with my daughter.  I grew up in a family blighted by alcohol addiction and discovered my mothers body, alone at the age of 19. 

Because I know what it is like to have survived a childhood cut short by the scourge of parental addition, I have completed much work since 2012. This includes outreach out to schools reaching around 2600 children in Kent and publicly speaking about my personal story to raise awareness.  Listen to my interview with BBC Breakfast earlier this year; 

https://twitter.com/BBCBreakfast/status/696612782247059456

and with Good Morning Britain

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORUSv94pbVg

2.6 million children in the UK are living with parental alcohol addition and alcohol harm costs the UK £21bn a year. 

https://www.alcoholconcern.org.uk/alcohol-statistics

These children experience the shame and stigma of growing up in an unpredictable, often violent and abusive environment, suffering in silence, feeling alone and living under a perpetual blanket of loneliness, inconsistency and sadness which can lead to anxiety and depression.  Alcoholism affects families from all parts of society.

The National Association of Children of Alcoholics - Nacoa was founded in 1990 and offers advice and support to children of alcohol dependent parents. There are no words to describe how valuable and wonderful their work is, so far they have taken calls from over 300,000 children, one recently as young as five.

So, I am challenging myself to complete an intense 24 hour Bear Grylls survival course to raise funds for Nacoa. It was going to take place in the world famous Dartmoor national park, however due to the course numbers, I will now be heading for the Brecon Beacons as part of a 14 strong team. The landscape can be harsh and unforgiving and participants will need to "learn to forage, identify animal runs and lay traps, skin and gut, navigate by day and night, build emergency shelter, stalk protect yourself in the wild from attack, tie knots and make  rope harnesses in order to safely cross difficult terrain such as rivers, lakes and steps by any means.'

Thank you so much for reading this and please sponsor me in order to help a child near you. I would like it to be known that the cost of the course has been covered solely by me.

Giselle X

#IamCOA