For the past two years my mum and I have ran the Manchester Great Run for Liv’s Trust and managed to raise through the extreme generosity of so many people just under £2000. This year we have a new team member, my wonderful fiance Conrad who wanted to join us after knowing how much the charity means to myself and my mum and hearing about the life changing work they do within the Greater Manchester community.

The money we will raise enables Liv’s trust to put on vital workshops in drama, music and dance for young children including Ukrainian refugees. I have taught at these clubs and have seen the first hand benefits and joy it brings so many young children instilling them with confidence and a safe space to express themselves freely. They also support young adults with their career paths, paying for and supporting drama school applications which they simply wouldn’t be able to pursue without the help of Liv’s Trust.

This year as the run is the week of the 7th anniversary of the Manchester Arena Attack it only felt right to run for such an amazing cause so close to our hearts again, especially because as the years go on it is so vital that we still remember the 22!

7 years ago on the 22nd May 2017 my mum, mine and so many lives changed forever. At 22:31 a bomb was detonated at the arena, killing 22 beautiful angels one of them being Olivia Campbell-Hardy, and physically and mentally injuring so many others. Since then myself and my mum have both struggled with the ongoing affects of PTSD, which have and still can be very difficult to manage. Personally something which really helped me through was my love of the arts, I vividly remember going to dancing the very next day as it felt like it was a safe space to express my emotions and how I was feeling as well as being a distraction from what was going on in my head. Music and the Arts help so many people through tough times and in Liv’s Legacy Steve and Sharon ,her grandparents, set out to help as many young people as they could with the very passion that Olivia had, performing. This year myself and Conrad will be running the half marathon and my mum will be running the 10km for this brilliant cause.

No donation is too small, we want to raise as much money as possible for Liv’s Trust as it’s a cause so close to our hearts and we know what a major difference it can make in young people lives. Please donate if you can, any donation will make a difference.