Guidance and Signposting for Life's Challenges
Somewhere along the way, we started treating help like a reward. Like something people have to earn.Prove.Justify. Instead of something given because someone is struggling. And that mindset is doing real harm. The “Deserving” Narrative We hear it all the time: “They should just work harder.”“They made bad choices.”“They shouldn’t have had kids.”“They should budget […]
Read More
There’s something deeply wrong with a system where people have to prove their pain before they’re allowed support. Not explain it.Not share it.Prove it. With paperwork.With evidence.With repeated retelling of the worst moments of their lives. For many people, asking for help doesn’t bring relief.It brings another exhausting fight. The Paperwork of Survival If you’ve […]
Read More
If escaping poverty was as simple as trying harder, millions of people wouldn’t be stuck fighting the same battles year after year. But poverty isn’t just about money.It’s about systems, access, stability – and the constant exhaustion of surviving. And once you fall into the poverty trap, climbing back out is far harder than most […]
Read More
You can’t always see a disability. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t there. Hidden disabilities — also called invisible or non-visible disabilities — are conditions that affect a person’s day-to-day life but aren’t obvious to others. These include things like chronic fatigue, autism, bipolar disorder, PTSD, sensory processing issues, and many long-term physical and mental […]
Read More
Next week, from 1–7 September, the Mark Hewitson Foundation is running our first ever *Hidden Disabilities Awareness Week.* It’s for everyone who’s ever been told:– “But you don’t look sick.”– “You seemed fine yesterday.”– “You’re just being dramatic.” Because disability isn’t always visible. Pain, trauma, fatigue, and neurodivergence don’t always come with a walking stick […]
Read More
Summer holidays can be a strange time. They’re meant to be a break — a chance to breathe, spend time with the kids, maybe even enjoy a bit of sunshine. But if I’m honest, they often feel more like a pressure cooker. The cost of keeping children entertained, fed, and kitted out for the next […]
Read More
Living with chronic illness is exhausting. Not just the pain, the brain fog, the fatigue, the flare-ups… but the endless admin, the explaining, the guilt, the “you don’t look sick” comments. It’s a full-time job in survival — and most days, it pays in exhaustion. And some of the worst moments? They’re not even about […]
Read More
If you’ve just left care — or you’re about to — let me say this first:You’re not alone, and you’re not expected to have it all figured out. I won’t lie — the moment you turn 18, the world expects a lot from you. One minute you’re in foster care, a residential home, or supported […]
Read More
I’ve been working on some stuff lately — both personally and via Mark’s Foundation — and one thing that keeps coming up in conversations is just how hard things have got for people. The cost of living crisis isn’t a headline anymore — it’s real life. It’s choosing between heating and food. It’s a gas […]
Read More
One small act of care, for a family starting again. Today, we supported a woman who had recently fled domestic abuse with her three young children. She’d just been given the keys to a council flat here in Coventry — a new beginning, but one without furniture, food, or even the basics. Her only formal […]
Read More