Jude's London Marathon for Scope
I'm running the London Marathon to raise money for Scope, a charity I've had the privilege of working closely alongside.
This year, I was part of a team that partnered with Scope on government research into how digital inclusion could help tackle social isolation among disabled people. It gave me the opportunity to understand much more about Scope's work, the people it supports, and the barriers that disabled people continue to face across the UK.
I spent much of February and March travelling around England and Wales, meeting disabled people in Scope community centres and seeing first-hand the impact Scope was having on people's lives. I also spent time with Scope's lived experience panel, whose members showed me the power of bringing people together to challenge assumptions, influence decisions and change attitudes and policies.
Working closely with Scope's employees and volunteers was a real privilege. They were some of the hardest-working, kindest and most dedicated people I've met. Just as importantly, I saw first-hand how carefully Scope used its resources to maximise the impact of its work, and how much more it could achieve with additional support.
There are 16 million disabled people in the UK. That's around one in four of us. Yet disabled people still face unacceptable barriers and inequality in many areas of everyday life. Disabled people are almost twice as likely to be unemployed, accessing the right support and care can be difficult, and the additional cost of living with a disability can be significant. These inequalities are wrong, and they should not be accepted as inevitable.
Please donate anything you can to support Scope. Having seen what Scope can achieve with its resources, I know every contribution will be put to good use.
