The Power of Community Support

This week, I thought I’d share a heartwarming experience that fully demonstrates the power of community and the kindness of people.

Next year, my 18-year-old son James will be completing his A-Levels and getting ready to go on the journey towards university life.

Part of his current A-Level Geography work has been a project which has to be of his choosing, where he carried out a study on how pollution levels were affecting people where we live in Reading.

He was fully committed to understanding this critical environmental issue. He spent several days taking traffic counts, collecting primary data, and engaging with our local community through surveys to gather thoughts and experiences about pollution.

Once he’d collected the primary data, the challenge was acquiring the secondary data he needed. It was a stressful period for him, filled with the anxiety and pressure that comes with this type of academic work.

But this is where the story takes a turn, thanks to the incredible people in a group I’m part of with over 100 members, many of whom are recognised for their work in decarbonising transport and heat.

I contacted the group, asking if anyone could point my son in the right direction. Not only did I receive several people offering their knowledge and links to various resources, but one lovely lady had previously been an Air Quality Officer and was very helpful to my son.

This generosity provided invaluable data for his project and cheered him up massively, demonstrating the fantastic benefits of such a great community around us.

As a mum, I know how important this academic journey is for James, and I want him to do well.

Seeing him work so diligently on his project and overcome these challenges fills me with great pride and possibly tears my eyes. His journey is not just about completing an academic requirement; it’s about growing, learning, and contributing to a cause that affects us all.

Finally, we have a podcast scheduled for tomorrow morning at 8 am with the fabulous Lorna McAtear , so please check that out. And I have recorded a special Christmas podcast episode for Boxing Day with just me, so please watch out for both of them.

Have a lovely week in the run-up to Christmas.

Liz