The Power of One Person Believing in You | Tracie Nemeth on Social Mobility, Self-Belief and Giving Back

No, I'm glad that you asked me.

So should we just start and talk a bit about Break, the charity, and what they do? So Tracy, do you want to kick us off, give a bit of an explanation? And Alex, it would be great to hear what you've been doing with Blue Heron with them.

Absolutely.

So my path crossed initially with a lovely lass called Ellie Middleton, who is one of the partnerships leads at Break.

And she had said that they were going to be creating a new launch event called Partnering with Purpose, which is all about how we bring in lovely local businesses, small and large, to consider ways that they can support the great work that they do.

And I was only too keen to support such an event because They support both children and young people that both live in, around and leaving the care system.

Now, while I personally haven't had experience of being in a foster care scenario, I think there have definitely been scenarios in my life where I think that's maybe just pure luck.

And so actually, I think given the social mobility and giving young people the opportunity to realise their potential and make sure that they know that they have it in spades.

I think those guys do a lot of work to really bolster those young people and give them every opportunity to unlock an excellent life despite what they've been through.

And so I think their strapline is they care differently.

And actually, I've seen through the lovely support work that they do, whether they're supporting families, whether they're looking at full-time or even part-time foster carers.

And of course, they even run their own homes.

I can see that they do genuinely care differently.

And that just is evident in anyone that you speak to at the charity as well.

Yeah, I agree.

I remember first encountering the work that Break did about seven or eight years ago and being completely blown away, if I'm honest, by the struggles that kids were going through.

And I remember what really resonated with me was this, that one of the chaps at Break did a talk and it was this kind of gap, right? It was these kids that were in...

in care and then you'd finish being in care and there was nothing it was just like there you go you're out into the adult into the adult world and it was this huge crack that that kids were falling through and it just it just hit me and it hit me hard and and that was about seven years ago and ever since then i've i've been a very avid fan of what break do and you're right tracy the different levels of support and care that they provide is incredible i've been to some of the houses you know and some of the things that Some of the things that these kids have been through, you know, through foster care and, you know, and it's not just the abandonment and the lack of attachment, you know, that they're experiencing.

It's all the other things that happen as well, you know, and if there's anything that we can do to support and give these kids a leg up, then we'll do it.

So I'm with you.

I think Break is an incredible charity.

I couldn't agree more.

From Blue Heron's perspective, we support them wholeheartedly.

Yeah, I remember speaking to a woman who is the careers lead at a local senior school.

And there was a student there that was looked after, as it would be referred to within those school systems.