This Christmas I am raising money to support care experienced parents, families and older single care experienced adults who are struggling.

As a care experienced single parent working part time, I live these struggles every day. I know how hard it is just to provide a simple Christmas. Not the big shiny stuff, just food in the cupboards and a little something to make the day feel special. All year I try to find support for families who genuinely need it and most of the time I am met with closed doors. It is exhausting, upsetting and honestly it breaks my heart.

And it is not just families. I also support older single care experienced adults who have nowhere to go at Christmas. Many of them are too old to attend the Christmas Dinners because the age limit cuts them off. They are not considered, they are not included and it leaves them feeling forgotten at a time when loneliness hits hardest. I want them to know that they matter too. That someone is thinking of them.

I cannot let another Christmas pass with people struggling alone simply because support does not exist for them.

This might be my last Christmas in my role supporting older care experienced people and the thought of more individuals and families going without is something I cannot sit with. I refuse to stand by and watch people who have already lived through enough feel invisible at the hardest time of year.

So I am creating a Christmas Pot and I need your help.

Every penny raised will go directly to care experienced parents, families and older single adults in need. No messing about. It will provide real support that makes a real difference:

Food gift cards

Small hampers

Supermarket vouchers

Little gifts for children or parents who would otherwise have nothing

Treats and essentials for older care experienced adults who are alone

Something is always better than nothing, and for some people this something might be the only bit of Christmas they get.

Care experienced people are so often unseen, unheard and overlooked. Let us change that, even just for a moment. Let us ease the stress, lift a bit of the worry and put a smile on the faces of people who truly deserve it.

If you can donate, thank you from the bottom of my heart.

If you can share this, please do. It might reach the person who can help us bring a little joy where it is needed most.

Let us bring some real Christmas light to people who rarely get any.