I will be taking part in Tough Mudder on the 18th of May in London to raise money for Flying start, help me achieve my £150target!

Here follows a little more information about what your donations will have impact on :) 

Flying Start is a global partnership between British Airways and Comic relief started in 2010, since then, us employees alongside our customers have raised 28 million pounds to help a wide range of less fortunate people around the world and in the UK. 

Our fundraising efforts have helped comic relief provide support to over 800,000 people, this includes 100,000 children across Sub Saharan Africa that have been able to be immunized against deadly diseases, 2,700 young vulnerable people at risk of social exclusion in the UK, have been also provided with support to improve life skills.

One of the many organizations we support is Butterflies in Deli that works to give life skills to children living on the streets to help them thrive away from such a vulnerable life. As little as 2 pounds can provide healthcare for a child in India for an entire month, this puts into perspective how even the smallest of donations can have a life changing impact.

We work with partners like the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) and the British Red cross to ensure that in time of need vital support it’s provided as quickly as possible. In the UK our support helps the British Red Cross train, support and recruit Red Cross staff. It also allows to provide basic necessities like food, first aid and emotional support to individuals who need it the most. 

Here’s a little more detail into what your donations will help with;

Scottish Sports Future UK 

Scottish Sports Futures' vision is a world in which every young person fulfils their potential. They use sport as a catalyst to enable young people to be healthier, more confident and more resilient, so they are better prepared to combat the effects of poverty, trauma and adversity.

Through youth led programmes that provide positive experiences, inspiring role models, engaging social education, training, and youth volunteering

opportunities. Scottish Sports Futures worked with over 7,000 young people last year. Enabling young people, living in challenging environments to become forces for good in their communities.

In one community police reported a 58% reduction in nuisance calls on Friday nights when their sessions took place. Most recently they launched Chance:2:Be, an early intervention initiative for nominated young people struggling to maintain involvement in education, training or employment, or involved in anti-social behaviour.

Using sport as the hook they supported young people to set personal development plans and achieve 6 SCQF accredited qualifications. The work they are leading transforms young lives through sport.

Fight For Peace UK 

Fight for Peace uses boxing and martial arts combinec with personal development to realise the potential of young people. The London-based charity supports young people aged 7 to 25 through their five pillars of engagement: Boxing and Martial Arts, Education, Employability, Support Services, and Youth Leadership.

Originating in the favelas of Rio in 2000, their Academy in North Woolwich, Newham opened in 2008 and has been supporting the community ever since. Informed by a public health approach, their programmes are designed to meet the needs of all young people in the community, as well as focusing on those that need specific and tailored support.

Mothers2mothers Ghana 

mothers2mothers (m2m) is an African NGO that employs local women living with HIV as community health workers —known as Mentor Mothers — across 10 sub-Saharan African countries. These Mentor Mothers deliver integrated health services at clinics and door-to-door in communities so that everyone, everywhere has access to the health care they need and deserve.

m2m's approach works because its local, community-focused, and peer-led communities trust m2m to provide the services families need, where and when they need them. Since 2001, m2m has created jobs for almost 12,000 women living with HIV who, together, have reached over 15 million people with life-changing health services, and helped to keep alive more than two million at-risk women and children alive.

British Airways and Comic Relief's Flying Start initiative has supported m2m since 2017. In 2019, this partnership allowed m2m to start work in Ghana — the first time m2m was able to bring its services to West Africa — and continues to support m2m's work there today. Since then, m2m's work in the country has gone from strength-to-strength — in 2022, over 15,000 people received vital health services thanks to m2m, through 38 local women employed as Mentor Mothers.

The WISH Centre, UK

Many young people in Harrow who self-harm, feel suicidal or experience sexual exploitation or the early signs of mental illness do not have access to the right support at the right time. Funding will contribute towards core costs to support The Wish Centre's community-based model that provides early intervention, open ended 1-1 psychotherapy and emotional health support in person at schools and at their Centre, plus digital therapy, peer support groups, advice and training. The model has been co-developed with young people affected by abuse, trauma and violence. Their outcomes show that 90% of the young people they work with stop or significantly reduce their self harm; 78% stop recurring trauma reactions and 87% are kept safe from continued Child Sexual Exploitation.