2013 Challenge Series: Why I'm Running for NYAS

Tomorrow is the Great Birmingham Run, the last of my races before the New York Marathon. I've been really looking forward to this, as I really enjoyed it last year, its on my home turf, and there are loads of people I know who are running and supporting others. But this week, in amongst the excitement of preparing for the race tomorrow and of thinking ahead to New York, I had an email from a colleague at work, who shared something a young person in care had written about their experiences. These are their exact words; I have their permission to share them: 

"When you are in care you are surrounded by professionals and it’s really hard to be able to open up and trust any of them as you know they can’t keep things private for you. They have to share stuff with other people, it’s part of their job and I understand it that if they don’t share stuff they’d lose their job but I just want someone I can be honest with. Times when I have told people private things and then they’ve had to share it because they were worried, it’s just blown up in my face and made my life worse. So now I’ve learnt just not to trust anyone and not tell anyone anything. It makes life easier.

Professionals say they care but no one really loves me and that’s hard. No one in this world loves me and I’m really alone.  I mean nothing to no-one.

I just laugh when everyone tells me the view of the child is important as it’s just a word and no one really means it. I’m sitting in these meetings with everyone around me talking about my life and I’m just sitting there, sticking my fingers in my eyes and laughing because it’s so false. And then when they ask me what I think, I feel like saying ‘do you really care?’ When I share things I just feel like it’s a token thing and no one really cares what I think.

Being a child in care you are not free. I have no freedom. Everyone questions what I do and where I go. Everyone talks about me and has meetings about me. Every bit of my life is controlled and questioned by social care. I can’t even decide my own friends or even just talk to people in the street without them questioning why I’m doing it.  It makes me feel out of control of my own life and all I want is a bit of freedom."

These words stopped me in my tracks. Working with children and young people, its easy to think you are doing the right thing, but at the same time ignore the very person you're meant to be helping. But this is why I'm also proud to be running for NYAS. Our Independent Visitors are volunteers who befriend children in care, developing relationships with young people which sometimes last for several years and beyond, showing them that someone does care and value them. Our advocates ensure that the voice of young people are heard by social care; they carry a unique position in that they are the only professional who act on what the young person wants, helping them navigate through the care system and supporting them when things don't go right. Both help to empower and give value to young people in care and others who are vulnerable.

I was also reminded of a great excerpt from "The King's Speech": there are a lot of parallels between Lionel and our advocates. But the thing that has always struck me is this: if this is how the King of England felt, what must it be like being a child in care?

Yes, he had a voice, and a right to be heard. NYAS advocates support and empower thousands of children and young people every year to have their voices heard in a system dominated by adults. NYAS' annual review gives an overview about what the charity does. If you would like to support NYAS by sponsoring me, please visit my fundraising page.............. and if possible, give generously! Thank you!