A short while ago, I had just returned from Odessa, following yet another inspiring trip to Tikva. At the time, I was three months pregnant with #3 and I decided that I wanted to do something for me; to set myself a goal and achieve it. I signed up to run the Vitality 10k in May and July.

For all you fitness fanatics out there, you may be thinking "10k...What's the big deal?!". But for anyone who knows me well, you will know that I don't exercise and have never run in my life! As determined as I am, I'm actually questioning whether or not I can even do it!!!

I started with very light training during pregnancy, not quite the best time and naturally, I had to give up. Now that Jake has arrived, it's time to start training again and it's going to be intense!

As a mother, being fit and healthy is an important example I set for my boys. I will be raising funds for the children of Tikva to enable our angels in Odessa to continue their life saving work and to set an example for these beautiful children.

My job as Director of Tikva UK is often both heart-breaking a heart-warming at the same time. Like any parent who sees children abandoned by their families and left on the streets, it is enough to bring you to tears. But it is an incredible feeling to know that the help and support we give is making their lives so much better and to know that it is our tzedakah that is making this difference is what drives us all on each day

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Tikva is a children’s home in which hope overrides despair and faith fuels optimism.

Every day, Tikva open its doors and hearts to Jewish children of the former Soviet Union whose young lives have been filled with suffering. More often than not, these children are the products of abandonment and abuse. Tikva makes it their mission not just to raise these children in a safe and nurturing environment, but to help them to overcome the experiences of their past and see themselves as the dignified and deserving human beings that they are.

Giving vulnerable children the confidence to believe that their lives are full of promise, that they are entitled to their ambitions and worthy of their dreams is an essential foundation for a new beginning. Tikva strives to create a healthy environment in which their children are able to flourish and grow into productive, independent adults. Tikva believes that regardless of the standards by which their future accomplishments are judged, their most remarkable achievement and their greatest contribution to society will be through their ability to overcome the odds and break the cycle of dysfunction that has, in many cases, been the blueprint of their family’s history.

When one enters Tikva they are instantly enveloped by a community, which holds more warmth, more integrity and a greater penchant for hospitality than any other. As of result of the efforts being carried out, Tikva has many active, thriving Jewish families in Odessa, restoring the kinship that’s seemed lost. Finally, we will measure our success not just by counting the child who has made great accomplishments in their education or their career, but in equally valuing the devoted spouse, the loving father, the enthusiastic volunteer and the conscientious mentor.

Thank you for all your support! (I'm going to need it)