From Couch to Cause: A Family Race for Connection

Aim: Running to raise £500 to create 5 national meet-ups for SEND mums—creating connection, confidence & community, one brew at a time.

This is not your average midlife crisis or quarter-life ambition… On the 20th anniversary of the legendary Potters ‘Arf Marathon, my husband Andrew (who hasn’t exercised since flip phones were cutting edge) and my fiercely determined step-daughter Benedicta (a.k.a. Bea, a.k.a. the human embodiment of a Fitbit on fire) are taking on their first ever half marathon. Andrew is training hard—he’s given up alcohol, full use of his legs, and most of his evenings in the name of progress. Bea is fitter, faster, and frankly terrifying in her competitiveness—she’ll be dragging him up Heartbreak Hill if needed (probably while shouting encouragement/insults in equal measure).

But here’s why they’re really doing it: they’re hoping to raise £500 for the Teal Teapot Project, a powerful initiative supporting mums of disabled children and those with additional needs (S.E.N.D). This money will enable us to set up five new Teal Teapot groups across the UK—run by S.E.N.D mums who become Teal Teapot Co-ordinators. These gatherings are already brewing connection in places like Newcastle-under-Lyme, Essex, and Wales, and every new group helps create a fresh space where mums can find understanding and a proper cuppa. It’s about building connection, confidence and community—one brew at a time.

Because when you’re a SEND mum with no support network, life can feel impossibly heavy—like you're carrying the world on your own shoulders with no one to hand you a cup of tea, let alone understand your reality. But when you find others who do get it, it can be life-changing. Sometimes, just knowing you’re not alone makes life feel a little lighter, a little warmer, and a whole lot more possible. It brings laughter back into the hard days, reassurance in the unknowns, and the kind of strength that only comes from community.

So please sponsor Team Midlife-Mayhem-and-Youthful-Speed. Your donation isn’t just fuelling sore legs—it’s fuelling real change for women who truly need it.

fuelling real change for women who truly need it.

Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made by 5th October 2025 at 5:08pm