Burnley teacher entering Great Manchester Run for Winston’s Wish charity

Mirroring the story of the thousands of children and young people Winston’s Wish supports each year, Eve lost her dad when she was aged just four years old in a scuba diving accident.

She said: “I really don’t have any memories of my dad or the day he died. Sometimes it made me feel as though my grief wasn’t valid or that I was an imposter in a world of grief, where other people seemed to have it worse than me.”

As a secondary school teacher, Eve came into contact with Winston’s Wish during one of their specialised bereaved training sessions delivered to schools across the UK to help equip education professionals to support pupils coping with grief.

Eve added: “I completed some of the training that Winston’s Wish provides and used some of the resources to support children, who were dealing with their feelings around their own bereavements.

“Since this training, I have kept up to date with Winston’s Wish and found that I really resonated with a lot of the messages and support they shared on social media. I just feel filled with pride that Winston’s Wish are committed to supporting children and young people experiencing bereavement.”

The race takes place on Sunday, May 26th and is open to those who use wheelchairs or are visually impaired.

“I feel like wearing the Winston’s Wish vest and raising some money to support them is gratitude to the family and teachers who have supported me throughout my life,” Eve said.

“It’s a wonderful thing to have been so beautifully supported in my life but by supporting Winston’s Wish, I am passing on that love and care to other people in need of support through an incredibly difficult time.

“As a teacher now, I unfortunately see too many occasions where children and young people are left to deal with their problems alone. I’m really proud to be actively supporting an amazing charity who aims to resolve this with both expertise and empathy.”