As some people may already know my daughter was diagnosed with Autism in 2021 and also has a diagnosis of Dyspraxia, ADHD and sensory processing delay. She is my inspiration for running the London marathon 2025. Watching her struggle everyday with her education and daily tasks is heartbreaking. Being significantly behind her peers at school with her education has more effects behind the scenes than just school work. Diagnosis like these mean children & adults take longer to meet milestones that everyone else learn every day with normal life skills become a struggle. Things like being able to tie shoe laces and do up zips are things Scarlette struggles with still and she is still no where near being able to do. Ultimately these challenges leads on to bigger worries in the future for parents and carers. We worry about will they find work when they are older? How will they live in society independently. The National office of statistics released data in 2021 showing only 22% of autistic adults are in work which is a devastating statistic. These are my everyday worries not for me but for how Scarlette will cope and be accepted into society.

Every person deserves a chance to live as independently as possible and United response supports people like my daughter to do this. I have been lucky enough to get a charity place to run for this cause at the 2025 London Marathon which helps as many people like my daughter live an independent, active and fulfilling life as possible.

Since 1973 United Response has been fighting for a society where everyone has the right to live the life they choose, no matter their disability. United Response's first service was a single house for twelve adults in West Sussex. Now, we operate in over 350 locations, employing over 3,500 staff and supporting over 2,000 people. The core of our work is supporting people with learning disabilities and mental health needs to live independently. Increasingly, our services are developing into place-based community hubs where we facilitate active community involvement among the people we support. Everyone has the right to feel connected, have choice and respect, build relationships, be recognised for their strengths, and call their communities home. Your donations support people with learning disabilities to develop skills and gain confidence to live fulfilling and active lives.