I'm running 10K at the Great Manchester Run on 20th May. I'll be raising money for The Handmade Parade CIC, an arts organisation that works with communities to create parades, festivals and celebrations.
I'm fortunate to live close to this brilliant organisation and to have the annual opportunity to be part of fabulous community events such as the Handmade Parade and Lamplighter Festival.
Every year I've been blown away by the dedication, hard work and creativity of The Handmade Parade. They have a unique ability to bring people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities together, to make extraordinary events happen and to make a real difference to people's lives.
Why I'm raising money:
In March the Parade's workshop was broken into. Thieves stole power tools, donation money and petty cash. It's a major setback to an organisation already working with limited resources. The money we raise will help the team continue their work with schools and communities who struggle to access high quality, fun arts activities.
Why they're special to me:
My family has a wealth of special moments to remember thanks to The Handmade Parade, its team of artists and volunteers and the many hundreds of others who come together to create so many joyful events.
Without them I'd never have learned how to transform a few bits of old cardboard into a bonkers costume, or discovered the joy of mucking about with face paint. I wouldn't have screeched through the crowds as a megaphone-wielding, blue-haired siren or become a terrifying skeleton or an exotic firebird. I wouldn't have played drums as a horned goddess riding on the back of a giant musk ox.
I'd never have seen my partner go out in public as a rollerblading dragonfly, my mother-in-law charge the crowds as a fierce scorpion or my son zip about as a high-speed wolf on a scooter. The Handmade Parade has played an important part in the good times we've shared together as a family and as part of our community.
