I was told I was strong more times than I can count. After Mark died, people said it like it meant I would be okay. I started to resent it. Because being called strong felt like expectation. From the outside, strength looks like holding it together. But that is survival. What people do not see […]

I’ve been thinking a lot about what I need. And just as importantly, what I don’t. I need things to be simple. Not complicated.Not overwhelming. Just manageable. I need people to understand that trying is not always visible. Some days, trying is getting out of bed. Some days, it’s answering one message. Some days, it’s […]

There is a part of the Foundation that is not always visible. The people behind it. The trustees. They are not a large team. They do not do this as a job. They give their time. Their attention. Their care. Every application is read. Discussed. Considered. There are conversations. Different perspectives. Questions asked. Time taken. […]

Recently, we asked a simple question. What do you need right now. The responses were honest. Sometimes practical.Sometimes emotional. Often both. A few things came through clearly. People need immediate support. Not long processes.Not complex systems. Something that helps now. People need clarity. What is available.Where to go.What to do next. People need understanding. Not […]

This is what support looks like in real life. Not headlines.Not campaigns. Just moments. This week, we helped someone who had run out of options. They had stretched everything as far as it could go. Food had run low.Energy was becoming a concern. A small amount of support meant they could get through the week. […]

There is a quiet pressure to be better. To live better.Work better.Cope better. For some people that is motivating. For others, it is exhausting. Because when you are already struggling, being better is not a strategy. There are days where better is getting out of bed. Answering one message. Getting through the day. And that […]

There is a part of what we do that is not always visible. What comes after. Sometimes it is a message. “These really sorted me out.” “Words cannot express how it felt.” “You were by their side.” These are not polished statements. They are real. They come from people who were trying to cope. And […]

There is a version of life I thought I would still be living. Working.Seeing people.Functioning. That version did not happen. Grief changed everything. And then trauma added to it. I am not working. I am still largely housebound. Things that used to feel normal now take effort. Seven years on. And yet something else exists […]

It is easy to underestimate small amounts of money. £50 does not sound like a lot. But in the right moment, it can change everything. At the Mark Hewitson Foundation, we often provide support in amounts like this. £50 can mean a food shop when cupboards are empty. An energy top up. Essential items that […]

One of the hardest parts of running a small foundation is this. We cannot help everyone. Every application matters.Every situation is real. But we have to make decisions. At the Mark Hewitson Foundation, those decisions are made carefully. Together. We look at urgency, essential need, risk and impact. We prioritise where there is immediate pressure […]