On 17th August 2021, my mum's dependency on alcohol took her life. She was 57 years old. I was there. And it’s a day I will never be able to forget

Being the child of an alcoholic from 7, meant life was chaotic, unpredictable, and dysfunctional. It meant that the person I needed and wanted most in the world, was always unavailable to me both physically and emotionally.

It has meant learning to live in the absence of something my heart aches for. Watching everybody else and asking myself every day, why wasn’t I enough?

Since the 17th August 2021, it's meant starting all over again. Different trauma, different feelings, different loss. Unspoken words, unanswered questions, and overwhelming guilt .

So why Nacoa?

Simply because when I was a child, though founded the year I was born, I didn’t know they existed and now, I want every child with a parent whose drinking is problematic, to be able to access their services.

I want every adult that missed out on them as a child like I did, to know that they support us too.

I want to spread awareness of the impact a parent’s drinking can have on a child, and I want change.

The government have currently cut all dedicated funding for children of alcoholics. They are some of the most vulnerable people in our society, yet we don’t talk about them enough, we don’t support them enough, we don't do enough.

Nacoa’s work is therefore more vital than ever, and I hope that you will help me, help them, by supporting me in my fundraising efforts over the next year.

On the 26th August 2023 I climbed Snowdon under the stars with Charity Challenge, on 17th September 2023 I joined team Nacoa to abseil down the ArcelorMittal Orbit in London, and to start off what has always been a difficult month, I took part in a Scafell Sunrise climb on 1st December. I joined team Nacoa again on 4th May for the White Peak Challenge, and the following day my amazing children and their friends and parents ran a local run all sporting the Nacoa logo. At the end of July, I was able to combine my 2 favourite things of singing and raising money for this charity and I aim to continue fundraising through various events until my main challenge on 4th September 2024. On this date I will fly to Iceland solo to join the Charity Challenge team and trek 58km through one of the planet’s most volcanic regions.

I hope you will help me reach my target and spread awareness of this incredible charity.

 ‘Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much’ 

Thank you 💙