I have to admit, whilst I am a fairly regular fundraiser, my relationship with KidsOut is a pretty new one. I only became aware of the charity through a speech provided by Gordon Moulds (CEO) on my weekly Covid-19 colleague call at work. I work for Direct Line Group, and have done for 20+ years.

Gordon came on to thank us for donations we’d provided to help the families in each of the 319 UK refuges. Some of the stories he shared, and the emotional way in which he did it, really struck a chord for me. I’m not ashamed to admit that I was moved to tears. As a father myself, hearing these stories really reminds me how lucky we are, and that there is always hope.

As a result of this, I started to research the charity. I was blown away with the values, work, achievements and overall fantastic support they provide. So much so, I wrote to them asking if I could help. After some careful thought, and a chat with Kathy Capper, I decided to start by running 26.2 Marathons to raise money for the team. Although I’m a keen runner, this represents easily my biggest challenge yet, but I know deep down I can do it.

As an ambassador for the charity, I hope to become a lifelong member of this wonderful team. And do my bit to help the unbelievable work they do in putting a smile on the faces of families and children at their most vulnerable. It is a great honour to be asked, and yes, I cried at that too.