Two mums whose lives have been torn apart by crime are taking on this year’s TCS London Marathon to fundraise for Embrace to help other crime survivors after previously being supported by the charity.
Mum-of-four Lisa Bari (47), a hotel housekeeper from London, and Mum-of-three Emma Salt (49) from South Cheshire are both running the marathon to raise vital funds to support other crime victims.
Lisa was supported by Embrace Child Victims of Crime after her 20-year-old eldest son Jordan was shot dead while answering the door of a flat in East London in October 2016. Two men were acquitted of killing him in July the following year.
We took Lisa and her children on a trip of a lifetime to Disneyland Paris, with other young crime survivors to help them recover from the trauma and meet other families whose lives had been torn apart by crime.
Lisa said: “I thought it would be nice to raise money for Embrace to support other children who have been through traumatic experiences after you supported our family. My children loved the opportunity to go to Disney as it wouldn’t have been possible for me to take them and it was good to mix with other families who had been through similar experiences. I would highly recommend Embrace to other families harmed by crime. We have the memories of our time in Paris and the special family time we had together.”
Emma said she was so grateful for the help she and her children received from Embrace she wanted to give something back and support other families harmed by crime.
She said: “Five years ago my family became victims of crime and our lives were severely impacted. Embrace was the one charity that offered us their full support, when we felt isolated and hurt. They helped us to feel supported and not alone. Embrace makes such a difference to children and their families by providing services that help them to grow from their trauma and fulfil their potential and find happiness again.
“Back in 2019 I started couch to 5K. Running helped to give me a focus and mental strength to face the difficult time through the court trial. Since then I haven’t stopped running and have completed a number of half-marathons. Whilst the idea of completing a marathon puts me out of my comfort zone I am determined to complete this huge milestone to give back and help support other families when they need it most.”
Also joining #TeamEmbrace are two police supporters. Pc Duncan Eades from West Mercia Police Duncan who said he wanted to fundraise and raise awareness of Embrace to help more children who have been impacted by crime.
Claire Hurst, Commissioning Officer from the Office of the Bedfordshire Police and Crime Commissioner based at Bedfordshire Police Headquarters is also running for us. She said: “Working for the police, I have an insight into the much-needed service that Embrace provides for children and families who have been impacted by crime. Embrace makes a difference by providing practical and emotional support and encouraging children to heal and recover. I too want to make a difference and that’s why I will be honoured to represent Team Embrace. “
Two of Embrace’s corporate supporters have also entered the team. DNA testing and forensic service provider Cellmark and leading digital transformation company Telefonica Tech – both members of the Embrace 100 Club corporate partnership programme encouraged their staff to join.
James Gowens (38) Forensic Reporting Scientist and Sarah Nesbitt (50) forensic account manager – both from Cellmark and Richard Cowan, Infrastructure Consultant, at Telefonica Tech are proud to be representing the charity next month. James is running two marathons in seven days – first Manchester and then the London Marathon.
Anne Campbell, Chief Executive of Embrace Child Victims of Crime, said: “We are always so grateful to all our runners who take on what is arguably the most famous marathon in the world to raise money for our charity. Over the years fundraisers have raised tens of thousands of pounds which have enabled us to provide vital counselling and emotional support, practical and financial support and short breaks and fun days out to help families who have been through so much rebuild their lives.”
The 26.2 mile TCS London Marathon takes place on Sunday 23 April 2023.
We do not receive any direct funding from Government and rely heavily on the generosity of our public supporters who take on challenges for us to raise funds to pay for our vital services. The funds raised by #TeamEmbrace will provide specialist services to help children and young people rebuild their lives and reach their full potential.
Each year, we support up to 4,000 young crime victims and their families across the UK, providing emotional support and counselling to help heal their trauma and practical support to help them re-build their lives.
Show your support
To show your support please visit Team Embrace’s fund-raising pages at:
Lisa Bari: https://2023tcslondonmarathon.enthuse.com/pf/lisa-bari
Emma Salt: http://www.justgiving.com/Emma-Salt26
Claire Hurst: http://www.justgiving.com/claire-hurst4
Duncan Eades: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/d-eades
Sarah Nesbitt: https://2023tcslondonmarathon.enthuse.com/pf/sarah-nesbitt
James Gowens: http://www.justgiving.com/James-Gowens2023
Richard Cowan: http://www.justgiving.com/Telefonica-Tech
If you are interested in joining #TeamEmbrace on a challenge visit www.embracecvoc.org.uk/events
About us
Embrace Child Victims of Crime works with children who have suffered trauma because of crime. They may be grieving the loss of their mum, dad, brother, sister or other family member killed through crime. Some have experienced sexual, physical or emotional abuse, violence or exploitation or have been living in a home torn apart by domestic abuse. These children have had to deal with often unimaginable horrors in their young lives and agencies such as the police, social services or support charities refer them to Embrace to get the help and support they need. To find out more about the support Embrace offers visit www.embracecvoc.org.uk.
You can also call our helpline on 0345 60 999 60 from Monday to Friday between 10am and 4pm.
