I don't read the news, I don't watch the news. I even have a few lovely people on Twitter who if they see a news story that they know will upset me give me a warning to make sure I stay away from the news. I don't watch or read the news because of all the bad in this world. I was lucky I grew up in a home that sheltered me from a lot of the horrid truths of the world; Until we became a Foster Family that was.
When we became a Foster Family I was Ten, young enough to still believe in magic and that I really was getting a pony because I had wished for it (and because my Uncle had promised me one when I was four) but old enough to know that not everyone in the world was as nice as my parents.
Some of the children that were with us were there because of parents in hospital, because they were going to be adopted. My parents never told my sister and I why some of the children were with us though. We knew though, we heard parts of whispered conversations.
And in the last twenty years things haven't got better. Every year in the UK, 100,000 children run away because they’re unwanted, unloved or abused and many are never reported missing. This figure breaks my heart.
Tell Us Your Story is giving people the opportunity to recognise and reward others who have made a positive impact on their lives or in their community over the past year. Entries are submitted online at http://www.avivatellusyourstory.co.uk/
Launched by Aviva, for every entry they will donate £1 to the Street to School Programme - a global initiative with the aim of reaching 500,000 children worldwide, helping them get off the streets and back into education.
A weekly prize of £1000 will also be awarded to the local hero that captures the hearts of visitors to the site and receives the most votes. One overall winner will be chosen by a celebrity judging panel for a prize worth £10,000. If you know someone who you think should be recognised for the good they do, then get on over there and tell the Story!
