August 16, 2024 • 48 mins
Abandoned as a baby and brought up in the care system of the UK Fatima called on all her resources to survive which she later called upon to be a European, World and Olympic champion. She has always strived to help young people in the care system, knowing that they can achieve anything they desire. This year she launched her greatest mission. Fatima’s Campaign UK is her life’s work coming to fruition as she builds a charity that supports children in care and beyond.
She is determined to make these invisible children valued and seen by society. Listen to this incredible woman as she describes her journey to success and how she is building a force for love for thousands of young people currently in the care system who have no voice.
Be inspired by her compassion and vision for the future.
#FatimascampaignUk #children #charity #youngpeople #collaboration #love #inspiration#team #community #collaboration #personaldevelopment #business #coglo #connection #networkingmeeting #onlinenetworking #onlinecommunity #onlinebusinessnetworking #networkingevents #businessforgood #adversity #kindness #growth
She is determined to make these invisible children valued and seen by society. Listen to this incredible woman as she describes her journey to success and how she is building a force for love for thousands of young people currently in the care system who have no voice.
Be inspired by her compassion and vision for the future.
#FatimascampaignUk #children #charity #youngpeople #collaboration #love #inspiration#team #community #collaboration #personaldevelopment #business #coglo #connection #networkingmeeting #onlinenetworking #onlinecommunity #onlinebusinessnetworking #networkingevents #businessforgood #adversity #kindness #growth
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:08):
Hi there, my name is Jiell Tiny.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
I'm from Collaboration Global and this is our podcast, Being
Human Hidden Depths. I'm going to be interviewing some of
our members from Collaboration Global and they're.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
Going to be sharing with you their extraordinary lives. Although
they would probably believe they're just normal.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
Everyday, average humans, but they are extraordinary.
Speaker 1 (00:30):
Like you and me, we all have our story to tell.
We've all been through difficult.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
Times and we've come out at the other end having
learned an extraordinary amount about ourselves that we can share
with others. So I think you'll find lots of things
that will resonate with where you've been in our journey
as well. I look forward to seeing you on the
other side.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
Hi there, and welcome to the podcast by Collaboration Global
called Being Human Hidden Debts. And this is a very
special episode today for I am meeting one of my
heroes and at the time of the Olympics over in Paris,
it seems very fitting that we have an Olympic champion
with us today. Welcome Fatima. Thank you so much for
(01:17):
joining us today.
Speaker 3 (01:19):
Thank you, Jo. It's lovely to be sharing this platform
with you and through a common friend, my vice chair
of fatima's UK campaign, Gina Gardner, who I met a
year ago on a platform talking of the Westminster Chapel
(01:39):
Mental health and it was, you know, since we've been
in separable working towards you know, helping them improving children
in care and young people life chances. So yeah, it's
been you know, a really busy year and really exciting
as well.
Speaker 1 (01:58):
Yeah, she's an amazing lady and we do wish her
well with everything that she's doing. But with the two
of you as well, it's what I've seen what a
team you are. Talking of teams, it would be remiss
with me to say what you're thinking of the Olympics
so far.
Speaker 3 (02:14):
Well, I mean it's been amazing to sit back and
watch the Olympics unfold, and from the very first few
days when we were winning medals, I mean it was
it was obvious to me that this is that we're
on course for being the best Olympics that we've had,
and which is particularly pleasing, especially when you look at
(02:34):
the youngsters that are coming through and they're doing so well.
I mean, if this doesn't inspire or motivate a generation
of young people to sit back and think what is
it can I do, whether it be in sport or
just generally, you know, find your purpose and get down
to it. Because hard work never killed anybody, is My
(02:56):
Auntie used to tell me and the children Auntie Ray
And she's right, you know, because if you put your
mind to it this, you know, there's saying twenty one
days of practice becomes a habit. And then from the habit,
you know, you can you can almost you know, perfect
something you know to a high level. So it's wonderful
(03:16):
to be watching the Olympics and seeing so many of
our British athletes doing so well. So congratulations to them
and those of you that made the Olympics. That in
itself is an achievement anyway, So just seeing.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
Yeah, it's isn't it. I just can't imagine what that
must feel like, especially I was listening to somebody being
interviewed about walking into the Olympic village for the first
time and it must be this over here.
Speaker 3 (03:41):
Yeah, that's amazing feeling because the Olympics is all about solidarity,
respect and friendship. I mean, it's as wonderful as it
is we're seeing these over two hundred countries competing against
the best of the rest in the world. I mean,
I remember back in my days, I went to four
different Olympics, so I understand it well. But you know,
(04:03):
for anybody to be on the fringe of that, just
by spectators or being around that atmosphere in the stadium
where these competitors, you know, and countries that are competing,
it's just, you know, an amazing feeling. Even the athletes
from different sports staying in the village together, going to
(04:24):
the canteen, having you know, an array of different foods
from all around the world, being able to rub shoulders
with the likes the tennis would swim in and judo
and you know BMX. It's just an amazing thing to
be a part of. And they have these little pins.
(04:44):
Each country have these pins and they collect the different
pins from all the different countries. That's very lovely.
Speaker 1 (04:52):
Do you wish you were competing now or you think
I've been there, done that, got the medal.
Speaker 3 (04:58):
I was very fortunate. That unfortunate in some respects that
I got injured and back then when I actually ruptured
my shoulder rotator car which was you know, put an
end to my career eight years I think too soon.
But at least, I always say, at least I was
(05:19):
able to experience what it was like to be at
the top, go to these major championships. So on eleven
major championship medals across the board, European World Records, Olympics,
you know, World Cups, Europa Cups. You know, from the
very young age of sixteen, when I made my first
(05:39):
four international Crystal Palace, which was then back then the
National Sports Center of Britain. You know, I've had illustrious career.
But I guess you know back then as well, in
the early days, I mean, they didn't have keyhole surgery,
so that really what been because my injury that I
(06:03):
sustained couldn't be done through keyhole surgery. It had to
be cut obviously, and the nerve box was cut, and
that effectively ended my career. So at least I didn't
have to make the decision when to retire, which is
always really hard for women.
Speaker 1 (06:22):
Yeah, it's like poor old Andy Murray. It never knew
when to quit. Did He had to keep on going.
It must be tough, and then you kind of go
part two, what's next? And then you've got all these
wonderful I mean, after being made Sports Personality of the
Year as well, which was a huge accolade. Then you're
visible on TV as this personality, so it's like, well,
(06:44):
hang on, what do I do now? Did you ever
consider what am I going to do? Or did it
just kind of float you down the road and you
ended up doing all these incredible things that you've done
since the Olympics.
Speaker 3 (06:53):
Well, I've been blessed because I worked within the athletics
circuit before I retire. Obviously amateurism, you know, when we
were competing, it was an amateur sport and it was
coming out of amateurism into professionalism. My late husband Andy
was the organizer for British Athletics and World Athletics. And
(07:14):
when I became arrived on the scene and started performing well,
I was involved with a lot of the hospitality events
around the track and field, and I learned an awful
lot with working with managing directors and their wives in
the corporate field. And of course after I had to retire,
it naturally gravitated to doing sports marketing and I looked
(07:39):
after thirty four top athletes, athletes like them for Christy Sally, Ganoffstein, Backley,
Colin Jackson, and I also ran development programs in the
school system for fifteen years, working with the schools, the
local authorities and the clubs the grassroots level sport and
(08:02):
through that l sport we found people like Kelly Holmes,
Paula Radcliffe and Thomas So I've had an extensive you know,
understanding for what on both sides of the defenses are
competing an athlete in the marketing side as well and
in the corporate hospitality side. I used to work for
you know, for the sport when I was competing and
(08:24):
looking after the delegates from all around the world at
the major events and their wives, looking after their wives
mainly while they were working. And also yeah, I mean,
I was a non executive director for ten years on
the National Health Trust Board at Essex National Essex South
(08:50):
East Essex Health Authority and I've really I mean, I
was involved with the closure of Rockington South Fuckington Hospital
Mental Health Board, getting people integrated into the community, back
into residentials. I've really enjoyed an awful lot in my
unpacked in an awful lot in my early years and
(09:13):
I still feel my best years are yet to come.
Because my ministry today is obviously Foundomics UK campaign, which
is using my lived experience and my Olympic platform to
further support young children and people in the care system
to improve and rejuvenate the care system sector by bringing
(09:34):
the summit together next year which is in April twenty
third and twenty fourth of twenty twenty five at the
Guildhall in London, which may I add, is a wonderful
opportunity to address and improve the healthcare system, the children's
welfare and care system by bringing the collaboration of partnerships
(09:57):
together and shared good practice and knowledge. So and of
course you know a private sector bringing a private sector
in because the government itself, I mean, I know since
the sixty years that I lived in the care system
with governments have come and gone and they have kicked
that same ting can down the road. So you know,
(10:18):
not a lot has changed. There is some good stuff
out there, but it's spattered all on the ground floor
area and nobody collaborates, nobody talks.
Speaker 1 (10:27):
So exactly exactly, this is my philosophy that there's no
problem out in our world at the moment that doesn't
already have a solution, providing we come together and collaborate,
and it's bringing all these threads of people together that
this person's doing that, and then they blame that because
they didn't do that, so well, I'm not going to
do that. Then you know it's all disjointed and there's
(10:49):
not never enough money to go around. Well, actually is
an awful lot being wasted along the way. So it's like,
come together, and what you're doing, and I'm just so
in awe of what you are doing is you are
pointing the arrow directly at the problem. Let's remember the children.
Let's remember the children, just after the children first, and
get everything sorted. We don't care what your problems are.
(11:10):
We don't care whether you've got enough money, we don't
care how you're going to do it. Just get the
job done, because it's not fair. Now, I know this
is from your story of your upbringing, and obviously now
you've told us about your years of working in schools
as well. You must have seen many many children that
you've gone or they're living my life. They're living the
(11:32):
same life that I had, and I can see that
from a distance. What can I do to help them?
So I can see perfectly this joining of dots from
your birth through to now. It's like you are now
going right, Let's stop the mucking about. Let's get something done.
And that's why the name is Action for Children, isn't
it Fatima's UK campaign. It's like, come on, let's get
(11:53):
something done. For those that don't know, could you just
briefly tell.
Speaker 3 (11:57):
Us without is that it's fatimed A's UK campaign And
if you want to support me, go on Fatmer's campaign
dot com and help me make a difference to these
young people's lives, to make a change. You know, I'm
always doing challenges. I've just got back from Everest base Camp,
(12:17):
of which I've done the base Camp Challenge, and I'm
always looking to raise the profile and awareness of what
Fatom's campaign is all about and helping to rejuvenate the
care system and life chances of these children and young people.
I'm off to the Pyrenees in September, in September the
(12:39):
ninth actually, and I'll be walking from the Bay of
Biscape from France to Spain and Spain back to France. Yes,
so basically it's all about trying to bring those collaborations
to go bring awareness to what make these children more visible,
because they've been invisible for such a long time, you know,
(13:00):
and so they can be seen, heard and valued. I
mean it goes back to them my very early days
when abandoned as a baby, and then some would say
left to die. A neighborhoard a baby crying in a
flat and hadn't seen anybody coming or going in a
couple of days, so she called the police, who then
came and banged the door down and rescued the baby,
(13:23):
which was myself. And then I spent the next seven
months in hospital recovering from malnutrition and nappy rash. I'm
pleased to say you're all got over the nappy rash.
Speaker 1 (13:35):
Thank you for carrying that out.
Speaker 3 (13:37):
And the seven weeks of being in hospital, I was
made a warder court by a Hackney Borough council, of
which then I spent the next fourteen years of my
life in children's homes. Now, I mean children's homes back
then in the sixties were quite different to what they
are now. Back then it was like we had twenty
(13:59):
children and in the first time that I went to
in Hertfordshire and where in Hoddston, a place called Hodston,
and you know, nobody ever really took the time to
talk to kids back then. It was emotional needs were
never really met, and we were just a statistic a number.
And I hadn't had any you know, indication there was
(14:22):
any family out there, like family visits or birthdays, Christmas
cards or anything like that. And I can remember playing
in the front room where the front room was the
playroom with all the children, and it faced the car park,
and anybody that came into the car park, I'd always say,
is that my mummy coming to collect me? Which is
(14:44):
what a lot of young children, which happens to a
lot of young children. Unfortunately, it did certainly happen to us.
Back in those days. We had young sixteen year olds
that lived in the village that used to come in
and help the kids get up and get them ready,
take them for walk or playing in the garden with them,
just to keep an eye on the kids. We had
a matron who looked after the home. At the time,
(15:07):
everything was very functional, and you can imagine with kids,
twenty kids in a home, there's routine. Yeah, And if
I look back, I think, no, actually the routine hasn't
its good people, you know. I mean, I've been somebody
that loves a routine. I love it to this day,
(15:28):
not just as a kid, but also because you know,
to be a top flight international athlete and olympian, you
have to have routine, you have to stick to the plan.
And you know, I was a part of that was
instilled within me from my childhood days. And the other
part that was instilled in me was the inner strength
that I had to have. And what a lot of
(15:49):
these young people have that live in the care system
is what they call resilience because they were constantly living
with trauma and triggers. And it's so important for our
young people to have, you know, good role models around them.
I mean, one of the homes I had was Auntie
(16:10):
Ray and I called her my bright, shining starf Auntie
Ray used to look after our kids. I called her
the tickle Monster. The reason why I called her a
tickle monster was because when I knew Auntie Ray was
coming on duty, I used to hide under the bed sheets.
I woun't I wouldn't move until she tickled me and
(16:30):
got me up. And I knew then that my day
had started off on the right foot. And most of
us kids felt that way because we knew Auntie Ray
just got us, she just understood us kids. We felt
safe with her and a lot of young people today.
That's all they need is somebody in their lives they
can connect to. These children in the CASI needs good
(16:51):
role models, need to you know, continuity stability in their life.
And you know, and we've got and ten thousand kids
the care system as we speak, and there's a shortage
of ten thousand foster cares so and it's predicted by
twenty twenty six we'll have about twenty six thousand shortage.
(17:11):
It is a tough, tough, challenging world for our young
children today, you know, and no less so than you know,
for those kids in the care system because when we
should really be still celebrating them, they've got a remarkable resilience.
You know. They bring something that a lot of kids
in conventional families don't have, they're not exposed to whilst
(17:36):
wearing up, you know, the toughness that our young kids
have to go through, the thinking off their feet, reading
a room and energy. It's a great attribute to have,
especially moving forward into work into the workplace, you know.
And that's another area that we look at with Fatima's
(17:58):
UK campaign and bringing in private but companies that we
can help to skill up our young children when they
get to the age of eighteen, you know, and they
become independent or are told they have to become independent living. No,
it's very difficult for these kids. Because independent living would
(18:19):
you would conjure up in your mind somebody who's living
independently very well. But in actual fact, thirty three percent
of these young children that go independent living at eighteen
end up homeless because they do not have the ability
to stay independent living. They don't have a jobs, you know,
(18:40):
some of them are traumatized in the way that they
stress academically not being able to work at school. Where
as they would normally be able to have had a
good family background and stability. They don't have a bank
of mum and dad or aunts and uncles, nuns and
granddads to support them or so can navigate them through
(19:02):
through life, which is you know, today, my son's twenty
six and he still lives at home. Most provincial children,
you know, they live at home much longer because they
can't get a foot on the ladder. And it's no
different from these young people you know at eighteen. Think
about that, if that was your child, you cast them
out into the world and told them just to get
(19:24):
on with it. With three thousand pounds, which is what
the government corporately as their parents do. It's pretty tough,
you know, a tough existence.
Speaker 1 (19:34):
What do you see as a difference between mean, the
person I see in front of me now seems obviously
resilient and you have an energy about you that is
a determination. But you have a calm. You have a
very strong sense of calm emanating from you.
Speaker 3 (19:52):
Now.
Speaker 1 (19:52):
Is that something that you chose to have? And do
you see that in other children when you're working with
these children, that that some of them have that kind of.
Speaker 3 (20:03):
I'll explain it a bit more to you. When I
was living in care. Clearly everyone who lives in care
knows how difficult it is, you know, with triggers and traumas,
and we all get the trauma tied know our primary
care years. Not even if we're in care. Some people
still have trauma in their life. It's learning to know
(20:26):
how to deal with that trauma to you know, be
able to see past traumas you know, coming through in
future events and when it comes at you, knowing how
to deal with that. It's so important, and it's doing
healing work is really important because that skills you up
(20:46):
and gives you the tools to know how to deal
with that. When I was in care, aren't you Ray?
I always say She's she was my bright, shining start.
And I remember running up the top of the staircase
and looking out a port window and I thought, oh
is she going to when she's a clear a clip
clopping up and down the road. And I thought, oh, yeah,
she lives on the end of that end of that
(21:08):
road there on the corner. Now. She was an East
End lady, full of the life, you know, lots of
laughter with Auntie Ray. And I remember picking these daffodils
all around the home. I went into people's garden. Aughty
girl picked these daffodils, and I walked I must have
been about ten at the time, and I walked down
to Auntie Ray's house and I knocked on the door,
and I hid the flowers behind my back, and then
(21:30):
when she opened the door, I said, will you be
my mummy? I presented the flowers to her, so I had.
Auntie Ray said, oh fact, she said, come round about
let's talk about this. And I thought I'm going to
be in trouble now. But she sat me down in
the kitchen and this is two things I learned that
day which will stay with me for the rest of
(21:51):
my life. She sat me down, she said, fact, she said,
I can't just beyond one, she said, I've got to
be mum to all these children. She said, so, but
here's the thing, she said. I'm not always there, she said,
and you are, she said, So why don't you be
there mum when I'm not there? So what that taught
me is and I thought about it and what it
(22:12):
taught me in giving you receive And it's so true
because these children's emotional needs were rarely being met, and
there was always a sea of emotion in the home
which you could very rarely get above that paraplet. So
it was pulling you down quite often. And kids cannot
(22:34):
process what's going on in their life. They blame themselves.
They taught themselves inwardly, and they imprisoned themselves in their
minds and thinking it's their fault. They're there and that's
why they're not got their money. And what that did
for me with Auntie Ray was it taught me in
looking after their emotional needs. It also fed my soul.
(22:57):
It helped me and that helped me in turn to
then swivel the lens, so I was looking outwardly and
I didn't were feeling victimized by my circumstance. I realized
the importance of calling out any injust to these children,
which was many that went on within the homes, and
(23:18):
looking after their emotional needs, so playing with them as well.
So like in the bedroom with seven or more kids
in our second home, the girls at fourteen autold, but
girls room had seven eight kids, and I always used
to get up and then we always do trampoline in
on the beds, or pillar fights, you know, wris being
(23:40):
kids really yeah, yeah, and drawing on the windows in
the morning, the steamed up windows mat with men and yeah,
I mean obviously I mean that, you know, this was
kind of fun. We installed. This is what I tried
to install. We've being you know with the young kids
that were crying when they were going to bed at
night for their mummy, or waking up in the night
waiting the bed rocking themselves to sleep, you know, all
(24:03):
these kinds of things. You know, I guess that was.
Speaker 1 (24:09):
It. Sure, your auntie, as she's a very wise woman, she.
Speaker 3 (24:13):
Was, Yeah, I mean she was. As I said, I've
written a book actually, which is coming out October twenty fourth.
It's called My Bright Shining Star. It's an illustrated book
for three to eleven year old and it's about a
young Fatima in the care system. It's there to support
children in the care system, so the funds go to
(24:34):
that Fatima's UK campaign. It also brings about an awareness
and educates people to thinking about what these children go
through in the care system. Also helps the children that
come into the care system and fear what's going to
happen to them. It's a very simple story told with
(24:56):
pictures and text that will you know, I think change
people's perspective about what children's homes or children's in care
is all about help young children that have got children
in their classes that you know, to understand if we
get this book in which which we're hoping to do
(25:16):
in the libraries, in the schools and the children's cares
departments all across the country, in the supermarkets, in bookshops,
and you know, it's to elevate and build a platform
of awareness about our young children in the care system
because they've been so invisible for so long that people's
(25:38):
misconceptions about these children. You know, I've asked which is
you know, awful really when they think, I mean you
very rarely get to hear about children in the care
You might get the isolated one incidence like baby p
which but yet there's there's so much wrong out there
within our care system sector that needs to be addressed,
(26:00):
that needs to be reregulated, that needs to share by
share good practice and knowledge to be improved to help
the outcomes for these young people, you know, from early intervention,
through going through the care system itself to coming out
for eighteen to twenty five year old and bridging that
(26:20):
gap in putting together programs that we can help our
young people build happier lives you know better, you know,
safer and healthier lives and better communities and a nicer
kind of society because we all have that moral and
ethical responsibility to do what we can to improve you know,
(26:42):
children's life outcomes and put them on a path to
an unstoppable path to reaching near goals because without working
in collaboration in partnerships, without recognizing there is this problem
in the first place, and having people doing the marvelous
work that they do and being recognized for what they're
(27:03):
doing by working in collaboration with others, it's not likely
to spread and in the far corners of the depth
and breadth of the cur country that it should, you know,
in order to filter through and make that difference and
bring that change about what's necessary, which has been antiquated
(27:24):
for so many years. You know, it's so important.
Speaker 1 (27:28):
Yeah, I mean, and you paint a picture and that
word invisible is so true because we don't really We
assume it's going on and it's fine and it's okay,
and like you say, we get the odd newsflash of
something horrendous that's happened, and then we kind of glance
in that direction, but we don't think on long term
strategies like you're talking about. I know one of our
(27:48):
members at Collaboration Global, she donates her time to help
young people and they might have special learning needs, all
sorts of things, but they've been going from foster care
to foster care to foster care. But she becomes their constant.
So once a month or once a fortnight, she will
take them out to the cinema or to you know,
swimming or whatever it is, and she'll buy something nice
(28:11):
and so she'll treat them a little bit, but they
will she will be their constant. So if they're not
getting on with the foster mam or whatever, they've got
her to go and they can have a chat to
because she's always been there from the age of eleven
all the way through to twenty or something. And that's
knowing that there is that opportunity to just donate your
time in that way. People don't know that. They don't
(28:31):
think about it, do they.
Speaker 3 (28:33):
Well, no, because as I said, not enough spoken about it.
But as I said earlier, she's doing a wonderful job.
Having good role models is so important for these young people.
They as I said, they don't have aunts and uncles,
they don't have NaN's and granddads who they can turn to.
Intergeneration is important for young people's lives and also for
the older person. So if you if you're listening, if
(28:55):
you've got any of your listeners that are hearing this,
never be a fred to think about the option on
the opportunity of a fostering because it is a tough job,
but it's also very rewarding and for a lot of
people that may feel lonely, even providing the dugilisgeness is
all done and everyone's happy. You know that there's no
(29:18):
need to be isolated on your own. You can foster
these young people, the young children and young people, and
they can you know, intergenerationally. It can be a wonderful
opportunity both for the child and for the elderly person.
And the other misconceptions that we've had also is the
same sex you know, they can adopt or foster, and
(29:41):
the same with disabled people. You know, no reason why
disabled person can't foster. And also and working people, most
conventional families both parents work. That's true.
Speaker 1 (29:53):
And as you say, these invisible children are part of
our future. And if they're all going to am out
of this care system and they're going to be resentful
and angry and emotions, do our society very good?
Speaker 3 (30:07):
As I can always say that, I've always said that
basically who and what our young early intervention is really
important for our young people because who and what they
become will decide decide for what society ends up, you know,
and we all that's why I say, we all have
a moral and ethical responsibility to do what we can
(30:27):
for these children because they are our future, you know,
and that we need to be able to look after
the generations of children beyond ours. And if we don't
start putting in place. And it's not so much that
there's nothing in place. There's certain things that are in place,
but it's not it's not monitors, it's not regulated. It's
(30:49):
it's dysfunctional because people don't collaborate and there's no cohesiveness there.
And and also we need to be sure that you
know that there's enough for everybody to share in terms
of finance with regard to bring in private sectors with
knowledge and resources that can best serve communities and children
(31:12):
within those boroughs, and also to support young apprenticeship programs
for kids that are coming out of care as well
to be able to skill them up, get them into
work so they can live a proper independent life. And
that's basically what we all want, isn't it. I mean,
when you look at the the the maintain always say
(31:35):
that you know the do you want the cliff a
fence at the top of the cliff or an ambulance
at the bottom. Yeah, you know it's what, Yes, what
the efforts we put in install in place to safety
in it, to make sure this whole care children's care
(31:57):
system is working proper and serves the right purpose and
deliver us the right outcomes for these young people when
they move forward to young adulthood.
Speaker 1 (32:09):
I think it is this overhaul of the current system.
And the current system is in place not because it
was chosen, it's evolved from Victorian times, and it's I
think society has allowed it to happen because like nursing
and teaching, it's a kind of scene as a feminine role,
(32:30):
and we'll do it for love, because it's a vocation.
It's not a proper career. And it's like, well, hang on,
let's just look at the problem and if we take
finance out of the situation, if we look at what
we should be doing loving these children. If you're loving them,
would you allow them to go through what they're going through. No,
So let's find that solution, and let's find that, as
(32:52):
you say, through collaboration. There is the money out there.
It's always been out there. It just needs to be
funneled and siphoned into the right place, with the right
culture around that whole system in place, and we do
need love at the bottom of it. And just because
women are willing to roll this and they're men as well,
don't get me wrong, but just because it's a vocation
(33:14):
and we are doing our best because we feel sorry
for these children. Actually, it's much bigger than that. It
should be that if you are a basic human, decent person,
you should be wanting to contribute to make sure that
nobody has to suffer like this in any way, shape
or form. And there are so many people in the
(33:35):
celebrity world that have kind of been sausage machinedu at
the other end, and it's like, therefore the grace of
God go I when you can see sometimes either it's
amazing and they're really really successful, or they struggle and
you know, they're not around anymore, and it's like, there's
got to be a happy medium where we can give
them a life that might not be the one they've chosen,
(33:57):
you know, to mum and dad and two point four children,
it will be as good as just different unless that choice.
Speaker 3 (34:07):
Well, children, children find themselves in the care system through
no fault of their own, obviously, and you know, so
it is important, you know, that we try to do
the best we can for them. Otherwise it's going to
be a lost generation of kids, and then what future
is there. You know, most of the governments over the
(34:29):
years have all promised to do what they can do,
but never have found And I mean when you go
back over the years, years ago, they were even shifted out,
shipped out to Australia. It's it's it's awful really to
think that people go through life, you know, with their
(34:49):
eyes shut and they don't see any of this what
goes on. And the media really have a certain responsibility
to try and also to educate peop people in their
way of thinking. So what I've been using is my
lived experience and my Olympic platform to relate and emphasize
with the public through social media which is a big
(35:12):
medium really, and also get that message out there so
that we can influence decision makers and influencers and bring
that change and make that difference to these young people.
And also give that platform so that these young people
can speak about their asks. You to be seen, heard
(35:33):
and valued, because that is so important when decision makers
are making decisions about these young people's lives, listen to
what these young people have to say. That's surely the
most important thing.
Speaker 1 (35:48):
Yeah, and there are some people, some of these young
people there are our next prime minister. We don't know
who they are, what they're capable of what their talents are.
They could be another Olympic champion, and they could be,
you know, a captain of industry. We don't know, but
if we don't give them half a chance, we're never
going to find out, are we.
Speaker 3 (36:08):
Well, exactly, that's the whole point of building you know,
proper foundation for them so they can actually also live
a fulfilling life, you know, a meaningful one, and to
actually reach their goals, you know, and have dreams themselves
about what it is that they want to achieve. And
(36:31):
also the most important thing is to break that cycle,
you know, so history doesn't repeat itself. Because we want
to be able to make sure that, you know, in
the future, you know, you keep them in. There's one
hundred and ten thousand kids, as I said, in the
care system. We want to try and reduce those numbers,
at least get them into safe, loving homes. And that's
(36:53):
but we will not do it if we're if people
are blindsided by what's going on. So let's talk about this,
Let's bring that collaboration, Let's regulate it better, make sure
it works properly, don't allow people to input the private
side of things. It should be regulated much more signed
(37:14):
up to a policy to follow up what's happening with
these children when the local governments sign off their responsibility
in their funding to private companies and then children are
getting split from their families and separate it from one
end of the country to another, siblings and then often
moves forty times, which is unacceptable. Where can they build
(37:38):
proper foundation in relationships? How can they work on their
education because every time they move, the curriculum is different
everywhere else. How can they feel stability? You know, these
kids from the care system have already got that instability
where they've been abandoned when they're neglected. I was sexually abused,
(38:03):
physically abused, mentally abused. You know, these are the things
that we talk about our children, you know in a
way that you know, why can't they do well for themselves? Well,
when you look at your children and push them out
at eighteen, you know, having had a good background, let
(38:26):
alone having been brought up in the care system, you know,
and abandoned with all those traumas that are going on.
Speaker 1 (38:33):
You can't just can't imagine that, can you. It just
it doesn't compute. Why would they take them away from
their siblings and put them in different parts of the
country that can't. On what planet does that make good sense?
Speaker 3 (38:46):
It just doesn't know, It doesn't see jilled. That's why
that Them's UK campaign is the summit in the next
year at the Guildhall or April twenty third, twenty fourth,
and that that's going to be the natural progression moving
forward about where do we go from here. Apart from
(39:06):
good practice and knowledge and influencing the decision makers, it
will also be about bringing change, asking those tough questions
about why is it that corporate governing bodies do not
act properly as the corporate parent. Why do they check
rail away their responsibilities and finance to private companies. Why
(39:28):
private companies allowed to make huge amounts of money out
of these most vulnerable children in society without it being
regulated and monitored in terms of signing a policy so
we can keep track of these young people so they
don't fall off the radar, so we can make sure
they have a safe and loving, caring upbringing. That's what
(39:49):
we all want.
Speaker 1 (39:50):
This is a scandal that you are allowing that you're
going to be highlighting and showing to everybody when the
summit comes. Who are the sort of people that you
expect that you need to have at this summit.
Speaker 3 (40:02):
Well, we've got we're non political, so we've got cross
party support. That's very important.
Speaker 1 (40:08):
So as we speaks, they'd be looking really bad if
they didn't support this, aren't they.
Speaker 3 (40:14):
I'm pleased to say that with the change of government
that it is looking more likely now that we have
a greater understanding and a better yeah, with a better
understanding from them. And I'm already working with the Here's Office,
and you know we are. We're already talking about the
(40:37):
future of our young people. How important that is in
future generations, and getting it right now is so key,
you know, so and bringing those collaborations together. You know,
it's about health because society's problems and the young peoples
live in the care have got mental health issues. Twenty
seven percent by the time they're fourteen, the homeless to say,
(41:02):
you know, thirty three percent of them at eighteen when
they go independent, already leaving homeless. Twenty seven percent of
under twenty one year olds that have lived in care
across the path of the care are in the prisons,
you know, and that's because there's nothing out there for them.
Nobody's guiding them properly, so they're getting groomed, targeted. Our
(41:25):
young girls are getting sexually abused and taking advantage of
because they're vulnerable. So it's all about bringing proper programs
together in order to make sure that these children are
in a safe haven. And one of the things that
Funker's UK campaign does is work collaboratively with the England
Football League Trust with the seventy two borrows up and
(41:48):
down the country, west Ham Safeguarding with all the London
boroughs also with Arsenal have just been in touch. They
also want to get involved with the program as well.
Essex Cricket County Club from East Angula all the way
through to East London. That's a big belt. You think
(42:08):
about the boroughs and the young people, the very many
young people that we can keep off the streets into
a place where they can either do the power of arts,
the power sport or power technology. We skill them up
working in this safe environment. They work with people in
their own communities and they have good role models there
(42:32):
and they can skew up and they can come out
with jobs at the end of them as well, so
they learn about life skills which is important, which is
you know, something that they will take with them for
the rest of their lives and adapt it to whatever
it is that they work within and their jobs such
as coaching, physios, there are medics, management, you know, any
(42:57):
sports venue has to have good you know it or
management that they do roundsman and there's so many other
opportunities there for them, you know. And there's the companies
that we work with corporately as well in the private
companies that are coming in skilling up these young children,
also skilling up some of their workforce to know how
(43:20):
to deal with trauma. And is so important because these
kids sometimes their behavior is misunderstood, you know, the trauma
that they are expressing through stress and they might be triggered.
It's misunderstood, you know. And if you understand trauma, you
will understand more or how to deal with these young people.
(43:40):
And that's what we need to work on, especially with
foster carers as well. Foster careers play a big role
in these young children's lives. We want good foster carers
and it's not just an ordinary job. It's a job
with a special need, you know. We want people to
look at it, you know, and enjoy That can be
very reward to have a child under their wing and
(44:03):
giving them this love and security of a good home,
but also bear in mind that it can be traumatic
with the traumas that they've been through.
Speaker 1 (44:15):
This is amazing. I'm just so in awe of what
you're aiming to achieve. I think anybody that has a
young person's academy in the sports field that they're in
or connected to a school and they want to make
it easier for cared for children in their score. Anyone
with an organization that might be able to skill up
(44:38):
these young people to make a note of that date
for the Guildhall and come along. How can they get
hold of tickets to come along well?
Speaker 3 (44:47):
And we will publicize it and it will be out there,
but it will be just make the date, put the
dates in your diary, twenty third and twenty fourth, twenty
twenty five at the or in London. And also help
us further by pre ordering you can the book My
(45:08):
Bright Shining Star, which comes out in October to twenty fourth.
Auto is the publisher, but you can go on Amazon
or you can order it pre order it from Waterstones
as well, and it's called My Bright Shining Star. It's
a lovely little book illustrated three to eleven year olds.
(45:29):
And I think if you're looking for a lovely gift
for your children, grand children or friends at Christmas, this
is a nice stocking filler. It's a lovely, gentle book
to be read to children, especially nighttime reading.
Speaker 1 (45:43):
Oh that's gorgeous. Thank you Fatima. And of course you're
all over social media, so if everyone can look for
Fatima's UK campaign and follow and like and retweet and
whatever else you can do, please do your bit to
make sure that, even if it's only a small bit,
that you've done something as a result of listening to
this podcast.
Speaker 3 (46:03):
We're a registered charity. I do just giveh because that's
all my challenges and just Giving is have shortlisted me
amongst a few others, as you know, somebody that they
want to look to see whether or not we can
win the just Giving Award for the amount of money
(46:24):
that we've raised for through just Giving, But that will
shortly be moved across to our charity account which is
registered with obviously with the Charities Commissions. So if there's
a company out there that would like to support us
give a large amounts to the charity, we are registered,
they can graw back the tax and if anybody looking
(46:48):
to do a challenge themselves that would like to call
Fatner's campaign as a benefactor for that would be delighted.
So doesn't matter how or are mutt it all, it
all helps to get these young people into working programs.
We do work in programs for kids. As I said
(47:09):
in the Powers Sport, Arts and Technology. For one child
per week, it's twenty pounds. For a whole year, it's
one thousand pounds to keep them engaged into these working programs.
So you'll be playing your part if you can support us.
So I'd just like to say thank you for allowing
me to share your platform, Jo and all the best.
Speaker 1 (47:30):
Thank you so much. And if anybody would like to
see Fatima online, we are going to be hosting her
at one of our sessions the last Tuesday in November.
I can't remember the date off top of my head.
Last Tuesday, November. Fatima is going to be doing a
short presentation at Collaboration Global. So if you want to
get tickets for that, go to Collaboration Global dot org
and book the meeting via that because I'm so excited
(47:53):
to have you join us as well, so you can
experience what our collaboration and our community is all about
as well. And then we'll see people in the room
will be tripping over themselves to help you, and this
woman is walking and crossing mountains in order to move mountains.
Thank you so much, wishing you every success with everything
that you do, Fatima, and look forward to seeing you
(48:14):
in the not too distant future.
Speaker 3 (48:16):
Yeah, God, bless you, thanks deal, thank you darling,
Hi there, my name is Jiell Tiny.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
I'm from Collaboration Global and this is our podcast, Being
Human Hidden Depths. I'm going to be interviewing some of
our members from Collaboration Global and they're.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
Going to be sharing with you their extraordinary lives. Although
they would probably believe they're just normal.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
Everyday, average humans, but they are extraordinary.
Speaker 1 (00:30):
Like you and me, we all have our story to tell.
We've all been through difficult.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
Times and we've come out at the other end having
learned an extraordinary amount about ourselves that we can share
with others. So I think you'll find lots of things
that will resonate with where you've been in our journey
as well. I look forward to seeing you on the
other side.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
Hi there, and welcome to the podcast by Collaboration Global
called Being Human Hidden Debts. And this is a very
special episode today for I am meeting one of my
heroes and at the time of the Olympics over in Paris,
it seems very fitting that we have an Olympic champion
with us today. Welcome Fatima. Thank you so much for
(01:17):
joining us today.
Speaker 3 (01:19):
Thank you, Jo. It's lovely to be sharing this platform
with you and through a common friend, my vice chair
of fatima's UK campaign, Gina Gardner, who I met a
year ago on a platform talking of the Westminster Chapel
(01:39):
Mental health and it was, you know, since we've been
in separable working towards you know, helping them improving children
in care and young people life chances. So yeah, it's
been you know, a really busy year and really exciting
as well.
Speaker 1 (01:58):
Yeah, she's an amazing lady and we do wish her
well with everything that she's doing. But with the two
of you as well, it's what I've seen what a
team you are. Talking of teams, it would be remiss
with me to say what you're thinking of the Olympics
so far.
Speaker 3 (02:14):
Well, I mean it's been amazing to sit back and
watch the Olympics unfold, and from the very first few
days when we were winning medals, I mean it was
it was obvious to me that this is that we're
on course for being the best Olympics that we've had,
and which is particularly pleasing, especially when you look at
(02:34):
the youngsters that are coming through and they're doing so well.
I mean, if this doesn't inspire or motivate a generation
of young people to sit back and think what is
it can I do, whether it be in sport or
just generally, you know, find your purpose and get down
to it. Because hard work never killed anybody, is My
(02:56):
Auntie used to tell me and the children Auntie Ray
And she's right, you know, because if you put your
mind to it this, you know, there's saying twenty one
days of practice becomes a habit. And then from the habit,
you know, you can you can almost you know, perfect
something you know to a high level. So it's wonderful
(03:16):
to be watching the Olympics and seeing so many of
our British athletes doing so well. So congratulations to them
and those of you that made the Olympics. That in
itself is an achievement anyway, So just seeing.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
Yeah, it's isn't it. I just can't imagine what that
must feel like, especially I was listening to somebody being
interviewed about walking into the Olympic village for the first
time and it must be this over here.
Speaker 3 (03:41):
Yeah, that's amazing feeling because the Olympics is all about solidarity,
respect and friendship. I mean, it's as wonderful as it
is we're seeing these over two hundred countries competing against
the best of the rest in the world. I mean,
I remember back in my days, I went to four
different Olympics, so I understand it well. But you know,
(04:03):
for anybody to be on the fringe of that, just
by spectators or being around that atmosphere in the stadium
where these competitors, you know, and countries that are competing,
it's just, you know, an amazing feeling. Even the athletes
from different sports staying in the village together, going to
(04:24):
the canteen, having you know, an array of different foods
from all around the world, being able to rub shoulders
with the likes the tennis would swim in and judo
and you know BMX. It's just an amazing thing to
be a part of. And they have these little pins.
(04:44):
Each country have these pins and they collect the different
pins from all the different countries. That's very lovely.
Speaker 1 (04:52):
Do you wish you were competing now or you think
I've been there, done that, got the medal.
Speaker 3 (04:58):
I was very fortunate. That unfortunate in some respects that
I got injured and back then when I actually ruptured
my shoulder rotator car which was you know, put an
end to my career eight years I think too soon.
But at least, I always say, at least I was
(05:19):
able to experience what it was like to be at
the top, go to these major championships. So on eleven
major championship medals across the board, European World Records, Olympics,
you know, World Cups, Europa Cups. You know, from the
very young age of sixteen, when I made my first
(05:39):
four international Crystal Palace, which was then back then the
National Sports Center of Britain. You know, I've had illustrious career.
But I guess you know back then as well, in
the early days, I mean, they didn't have keyhole surgery,
so that really what been because my injury that I
(06:03):
sustained couldn't be done through keyhole surgery. It had to
be cut obviously, and the nerve box was cut, and
that effectively ended my career. So at least I didn't
have to make the decision when to retire, which is
always really hard for women.
Speaker 1 (06:22):
Yeah, it's like poor old Andy Murray. It never knew
when to quit. Did He had to keep on going.
It must be tough, and then you kind of go
part two, what's next? And then you've got all these
wonderful I mean, after being made Sports Personality of the
Year as well, which was a huge accolade. Then you're
visible on TV as this personality, so it's like, well,
(06:44):
hang on, what do I do now? Did you ever
consider what am I going to do? Or did it
just kind of float you down the road and you
ended up doing all these incredible things that you've done
since the Olympics.
Speaker 3 (06:53):
Well, I've been blessed because I worked within the athletics
circuit before I retire. Obviously amateurism, you know, when we
were competing, it was an amateur sport and it was
coming out of amateurism into professionalism. My late husband Andy
was the organizer for British Athletics and World Athletics. And
(07:14):
when I became arrived on the scene and started performing well,
I was involved with a lot of the hospitality events
around the track and field, and I learned an awful
lot with working with managing directors and their wives in
the corporate field. And of course after I had to retire,
it naturally gravitated to doing sports marketing and I looked
(07:39):
after thirty four top athletes, athletes like them for Christy Sally, Ganoffstein, Backley,
Colin Jackson, and I also ran development programs in the
school system for fifteen years, working with the schools, the
local authorities and the clubs the grassroots level sport and
(08:02):
through that l sport we found people like Kelly Holmes,
Paula Radcliffe and Thomas So I've had an extensive you know,
understanding for what on both sides of the defenses are
competing an athlete in the marketing side as well and
in the corporate hospitality side. I used to work for
you know, for the sport when I was competing and
(08:24):
looking after the delegates from all around the world at
the major events and their wives, looking after their wives
mainly while they were working. And also yeah, I mean,
I was a non executive director for ten years on
the National Health Trust Board at Essex National Essex South
(08:50):
East Essex Health Authority and I've really I mean, I
was involved with the closure of Rockington South Fuckington Hospital
Mental Health Board, getting people integrated into the community, back
into residentials. I've really enjoyed an awful lot in my
unpacked in an awful lot in my early years and
(09:13):
I still feel my best years are yet to come.
Because my ministry today is obviously Foundomics UK campaign, which
is using my lived experience and my Olympic platform to
further support young children and people in the care system
to improve and rejuvenate the care system sector by bringing
(09:34):
the summit together next year which is in April twenty
third and twenty fourth of twenty twenty five at the
Guildhall in London, which may I add, is a wonderful
opportunity to address and improve the healthcare system, the children's
welfare and care system by bringing the collaboration of partnerships
(09:57):
together and shared good practice and knowledge. So and of
course you know a private sector bringing a private sector
in because the government itself, I mean, I know since
the sixty years that I lived in the care system
with governments have come and gone and they have kicked
that same ting can down the road. So you know,
(10:18):
not a lot has changed. There is some good stuff
out there, but it's spattered all on the ground floor
area and nobody collaborates, nobody talks.
Speaker 1 (10:27):
So exactly exactly, this is my philosophy that there's no
problem out in our world at the moment that doesn't
already have a solution, providing we come together and collaborate,
and it's bringing all these threads of people together that
this person's doing that, and then they blame that because
they didn't do that, so well, I'm not going to
do that. Then you know it's all disjointed and there's
(10:49):
not never enough money to go around. Well, actually is
an awful lot being wasted along the way. So it's like,
come together, and what you're doing, and I'm just so
in awe of what you are doing is you are
pointing the arrow directly at the problem. Let's remember the children.
Let's remember the children, just after the children first, and
get everything sorted. We don't care what your problems are.
(11:10):
We don't care whether you've got enough money, we don't
care how you're going to do it. Just get the
job done, because it's not fair. Now, I know this
is from your story of your upbringing, and obviously now
you've told us about your years of working in schools
as well. You must have seen many many children that
you've gone or they're living my life. They're living the
(11:32):
same life that I had, and I can see that
from a distance. What can I do to help them?
So I can see perfectly this joining of dots from
your birth through to now. It's like you are now
going right, Let's stop the mucking about. Let's get something done.
And that's why the name is Action for Children, isn't
it Fatima's UK campaign. It's like, come on, let's get
(11:53):
something done. For those that don't know, could you just
briefly tell.
Speaker 3 (11:57):
Us without is that it's fatimed A's UK campaign And
if you want to support me, go on Fatmer's campaign
dot com and help me make a difference to these
young people's lives, to make a change. You know, I'm
always doing challenges. I've just got back from Everest base Camp,
(12:17):
of which I've done the base Camp Challenge, and I'm
always looking to raise the profile and awareness of what
Fatom's campaign is all about and helping to rejuvenate the
care system and life chances of these children and young people.
I'm off to the Pyrenees in September, in September the
(12:39):
ninth actually, and I'll be walking from the Bay of
Biscape from France to Spain and Spain back to France. Yes,
so basically it's all about trying to bring those collaborations
to go bring awareness to what make these children more visible,
because they've been invisible for such a long time, you know,
(13:00):
and so they can be seen, heard and valued. I
mean it goes back to them my very early days
when abandoned as a baby, and then some would say
left to die. A neighborhoard a baby crying in a
flat and hadn't seen anybody coming or going in a
couple of days, so she called the police, who then
came and banged the door down and rescued the baby,
(13:23):
which was myself. And then I spent the next seven
months in hospital recovering from malnutrition and nappy rash. I'm
pleased to say you're all got over the nappy rash.
Speaker 1 (13:35):
Thank you for carrying that out.
Speaker 3 (13:37):
And the seven weeks of being in hospital, I was
made a warder court by a Hackney Borough council, of
which then I spent the next fourteen years of my
life in children's homes. Now, I mean children's homes back
then in the sixties were quite different to what they
are now. Back then it was like we had twenty
(13:59):
children and in the first time that I went to
in Hertfordshire and where in Hoddston, a place called Hodston,
and you know, nobody ever really took the time to
talk to kids back then. It was emotional needs were
never really met, and we were just a statistic a number.
And I hadn't had any you know, indication there was
(14:22):
any family out there, like family visits or birthdays, Christmas
cards or anything like that. And I can remember playing
in the front room where the front room was the
playroom with all the children, and it faced the car park,
and anybody that came into the car park, I'd always say,
is that my mummy coming to collect me? Which is
(14:44):
what a lot of young children, which happens to a
lot of young children. Unfortunately, it did certainly happen to us.
Back in those days. We had young sixteen year olds
that lived in the village that used to come in
and help the kids get up and get them ready,
take them for walk or playing in the garden with them,
just to keep an eye on the kids. We had
a matron who looked after the home. At the time,
(15:07):
everything was very functional, and you can imagine with kids,
twenty kids in a home, there's routine. Yeah, And if
I look back, I think, no, actually the routine hasn't
its good people, you know. I mean, I've been somebody
that loves a routine. I love it to this day,
(15:28):
not just as a kid, but also because you know,
to be a top flight international athlete and olympian, you
have to have routine, you have to stick to the plan.
And you know, I was a part of that was
instilled within me from my childhood days. And the other
part that was instilled in me was the inner strength
that I had to have. And what a lot of
(15:49):
these young people have that live in the care system
is what they call resilience because they were constantly living
with trauma and triggers. And it's so important for our
young people to have, you know, good role models around them.
I mean, one of the homes I had was Auntie
(16:10):
Ray and I called her my bright, shining starf Auntie
Ray used to look after our kids. I called her
the tickle Monster. The reason why I called her a
tickle monster was because when I knew Auntie Ray was
coming on duty, I used to hide under the bed sheets.
I woun't I wouldn't move until she tickled me and
(16:30):
got me up. And I knew then that my day
had started off on the right foot. And most of
us kids felt that way because we knew Auntie Ray
just got us, she just understood us kids. We felt
safe with her and a lot of young people today.
That's all they need is somebody in their lives they
can connect to. These children in the CASI needs good
(16:51):
role models, need to you know, continuity stability in their life.
And you know, and we've got and ten thousand kids
the care system as we speak, and there's a shortage
of ten thousand foster cares so and it's predicted by
twenty twenty six we'll have about twenty six thousand shortage.
(17:11):
It is a tough, tough, challenging world for our young
children today, you know, and no less so than you know,
for those kids in the care system because when we
should really be still celebrating them, they've got a remarkable resilience.
You know. They bring something that a lot of kids
in conventional families don't have, they're not exposed to whilst
(17:36):
wearing up, you know, the toughness that our young kids
have to go through, the thinking off their feet, reading
a room and energy. It's a great attribute to have,
especially moving forward into work into the workplace, you know.
And that's another area that we look at with Fatima's
(17:58):
UK campaign and bringing in private but companies that we
can help to skill up our young children when they
get to the age of eighteen, you know, and they
become independent or are told they have to become independent living. No,
it's very difficult for these kids. Because independent living would
(18:19):
you would conjure up in your mind somebody who's living
independently very well. But in actual fact, thirty three percent
of these young children that go independent living at eighteen
end up homeless because they do not have the ability
to stay independent living. They don't have a jobs, you know,
(18:40):
some of them are traumatized in the way that they
stress academically not being able to work at school. Where
as they would normally be able to have had a
good family background and stability. They don't have a bank
of mum and dad or aunts and uncles, nuns and
granddads to support them or so can navigate them through
(19:02):
through life, which is you know, today, my son's twenty
six and he still lives at home. Most provincial children,
you know, they live at home much longer because they
can't get a foot on the ladder. And it's no
different from these young people you know at eighteen. Think
about that, if that was your child, you cast them
out into the world and told them just to get
(19:24):
on with it. With three thousand pounds, which is what
the government corporately as their parents do. It's pretty tough,
you know, a tough existence.
Speaker 1 (19:34):
What do you see as a difference between mean, the
person I see in front of me now seems obviously
resilient and you have an energy about you that is
a determination. But you have a calm. You have a
very strong sense of calm emanating from you.
Speaker 3 (19:52):
Now.
Speaker 1 (19:52):
Is that something that you chose to have? And do
you see that in other children when you're working with
these children, that that some of them have that kind of.
Speaker 3 (20:03):
I'll explain it a bit more to you. When I
was living in care. Clearly everyone who lives in care
knows how difficult it is, you know, with triggers and traumas,
and we all get the trauma tied know our primary
care years. Not even if we're in care. Some people
still have trauma in their life. It's learning to know
(20:26):
how to deal with that trauma to you know, be
able to see past traumas you know, coming through in
future events and when it comes at you, knowing how
to deal with that. It's so important, and it's doing
healing work is really important because that skills you up
(20:46):
and gives you the tools to know how to deal
with that. When I was in care, aren't you Ray?
I always say She's she was my bright, shining start.
And I remember running up the top of the staircase
and looking out a port window and I thought, oh
is she going to when she's a clear a clip
clopping up and down the road. And I thought, oh, yeah,
she lives on the end of that end of that
(21:08):
road there on the corner. Now. She was an East
End lady, full of the life, you know, lots of
laughter with Auntie Ray. And I remember picking these daffodils
all around the home. I went into people's garden. Aughty
girl picked these daffodils, and I walked I must have
been about ten at the time, and I walked down
to Auntie Ray's house and I knocked on the door,
and I hid the flowers behind my back, and then
(21:30):
when she opened the door, I said, will you be
my mummy? I presented the flowers to her, so I had.
Auntie Ray said, oh fact, she said, come round about
let's talk about this. And I thought I'm going to
be in trouble now. But she sat me down in
the kitchen and this is two things I learned that
day which will stay with me for the rest of
(21:51):
my life. She sat me down, she said, fact, she said,
I can't just beyond one, she said, I've got to
be mum to all these children. She said, so, but
here's the thing, she said. I'm not always there, she said,
and you are, she said, So why don't you be
there mum when I'm not there? So what that taught
me is and I thought about it and what it
(22:12):
taught me in giving you receive And it's so true
because these children's emotional needs were rarely being met, and
there was always a sea of emotion in the home
which you could very rarely get above that paraplet. So
it was pulling you down quite often. And kids cannot
(22:34):
process what's going on in their life. They blame themselves.
They taught themselves inwardly, and they imprisoned themselves in their
minds and thinking it's their fault. They're there and that's
why they're not got their money. And what that did
for me with Auntie Ray was it taught me in
looking after their emotional needs. It also fed my soul.
(22:57):
It helped me and that helped me in turn to
then swivel the lens, so I was looking outwardly and
I didn't were feeling victimized by my circumstance. I realized
the importance of calling out any injust to these children,
which was many that went on within the homes, and
(23:18):
looking after their emotional needs, so playing with them as well.
So like in the bedroom with seven or more kids
in our second home, the girls at fourteen autold, but
girls room had seven eight kids, and I always used
to get up and then we always do trampoline in
on the beds, or pillar fights, you know, wris being
(23:40):
kids really yeah, yeah, and drawing on the windows in
the morning, the steamed up windows mat with men and yeah,
I mean obviously I mean that, you know, this was
kind of fun. We installed. This is what I tried
to install. We've being you know with the young kids
that were crying when they were going to bed at
night for their mummy, or waking up in the night
waiting the bed rocking themselves to sleep, you know, all
(24:03):
these kinds of things. You know, I guess that was.
Speaker 1 (24:09):
It. Sure, your auntie, as she's a very wise woman, she.
Speaker 3 (24:13):
Was, Yeah, I mean she was. As I said, I've
written a book actually, which is coming out October twenty fourth.
It's called My Bright Shining Star. It's an illustrated book
for three to eleven year old and it's about a
young Fatima in the care system. It's there to support
children in the care system, so the funds go to
(24:34):
that Fatima's UK campaign. It also brings about an awareness
and educates people to thinking about what these children go
through in the care system. Also helps the children that
come into the care system and fear what's going to
happen to them. It's a very simple story told with
(24:56):
pictures and text that will you know, I think change
people's perspective about what children's homes or children's in care
is all about help young children that have got children
in their classes that you know, to understand if we
get this book in which which we're hoping to do
(25:16):
in the libraries, in the schools and the children's cares
departments all across the country, in the supermarkets, in bookshops,
and you know, it's to elevate and build a platform
of awareness about our young children in the care system
because they've been so invisible for so long that people's
(25:38):
misconceptions about these children. You know, I've asked which is
you know, awful really when they think, I mean you
very rarely get to hear about children in the care
You might get the isolated one incidence like baby p
which but yet there's there's so much wrong out there
within our care system sector that needs to be addressed,
(26:00):
that needs to be reregulated, that needs to share by
share good practice and knowledge to be improved to help
the outcomes for these young people, you know, from early intervention,
through going through the care system itself to coming out
for eighteen to twenty five year old and bridging that
(26:20):
gap in putting together programs that we can help our
young people build happier lives you know better, you know,
safer and healthier lives and better communities and a nicer
kind of society because we all have that moral and
ethical responsibility to do what we can to improve you know,
(26:42):
children's life outcomes and put them on a path to
an unstoppable path to reaching near goals because without working
in collaboration in partnerships, without recognizing there is this problem
in the first place, and having people doing the marvelous
work that they do and being recognized for what they're
(27:03):
doing by working in collaboration with others, it's not likely
to spread and in the far corners of the depth
and breadth of the cur country that it should, you know,
in order to filter through and make that difference and
bring that change about what's necessary, which has been antiquated
(27:24):
for so many years. You know, it's so important.
Speaker 1 (27:28):
Yeah, I mean, and you paint a picture and that
word invisible is so true because we don't really We
assume it's going on and it's fine and it's okay,
and like you say, we get the odd newsflash of
something horrendous that's happened, and then we kind of glance
in that direction, but we don't think on long term
strategies like you're talking about. I know one of our
(27:48):
members at Collaboration Global, she donates her time to help
young people and they might have special learning needs, all
sorts of things, but they've been going from foster care
to foster care to foster care. But she becomes their constant.
So once a month or once a fortnight, she will
take them out to the cinema or to you know,
swimming or whatever it is, and she'll buy something nice
(28:11):
and so she'll treat them a little bit, but they
will she will be their constant. So if they're not
getting on with the foster mam or whatever, they've got
her to go and they can have a chat to
because she's always been there from the age of eleven
all the way through to twenty or something. And that's
knowing that there is that opportunity to just donate your
time in that way. People don't know that. They don't
(28:31):
think about it, do they.
Speaker 3 (28:33):
Well, no, because as I said, not enough spoken about it.
But as I said earlier, she's doing a wonderful job.
Having good role models is so important for these young people.
They as I said, they don't have aunts and uncles,
they don't have NaN's and granddads who they can turn to.
Intergeneration is important for young people's lives and also for
the older person. So if you if you're listening, if
(28:55):
you've got any of your listeners that are hearing this,
never be a fred to think about the option on
the opportunity of a fostering because it is a tough job,
but it's also very rewarding and for a lot of
people that may feel lonely, even providing the dugilisgeness is
all done and everyone's happy. You know that there's no
(29:18):
need to be isolated on your own. You can foster
these young people, the young children and young people, and
they can you know, intergenerationally. It can be a wonderful
opportunity both for the child and for the elderly person.
And the other misconceptions that we've had also is the
same sex you know, they can adopt or foster, and
(29:41):
the same with disabled people. You know, no reason why
disabled person can't foster. And also and working people, most
conventional families both parents work. That's true.
Speaker 1 (29:53):
And as you say, these invisible children are part of
our future. And if they're all going to am out
of this care system and they're going to be resentful
and angry and emotions, do our society very good?
Speaker 3 (30:07):
As I can always say that, I've always said that
basically who and what our young early intervention is really
important for our young people because who and what they
become will decide decide for what society ends up, you know,
and we all that's why I say, we all have
a moral and ethical responsibility to do what we can
(30:27):
for these children because they are our future, you know,
and that we need to be able to look after
the generations of children beyond ours. And if we don't
start putting in place. And it's not so much that
there's nothing in place. There's certain things that are in place,
but it's not it's not monitors, it's not regulated. It's
(30:49):
it's dysfunctional because people don't collaborate and there's no cohesiveness there.
And and also we need to be sure that you
know that there's enough for everybody to share in terms
of finance with regard to bring in private sectors with
knowledge and resources that can best serve communities and children
(31:12):
within those boroughs, and also to support young apprenticeship programs
for kids that are coming out of care as well
to be able to skill them up, get them into
work so they can live a proper independent life. And
that's basically what we all want, isn't it. I mean,
when you look at the the the maintain always say
(31:35):
that you know the do you want the cliff a
fence at the top of the cliff or an ambulance
at the bottom. Yeah, you know it's what, Yes, what
the efforts we put in install in place to safety
in it, to make sure this whole care children's care
(31:57):
system is working proper and serves the right purpose and
deliver us the right outcomes for these young people when
they move forward to young adulthood.
Speaker 1 (32:09):
I think it is this overhaul of the current system.
And the current system is in place not because it
was chosen, it's evolved from Victorian times, and it's I
think society has allowed it to happen because like nursing
and teaching, it's a kind of scene as a feminine role,
(32:30):
and we'll do it for love, because it's a vocation.
It's not a proper career. And it's like, well, hang on,
let's just look at the problem and if we take
finance out of the situation, if we look at what
we should be doing loving these children. If you're loving them,
would you allow them to go through what they're going through. No,
So let's find that solution, and let's find that, as
(32:52):
you say, through collaboration. There is the money out there.
It's always been out there. It just needs to be
funneled and siphoned into the right place, with the right
culture around that whole system in place, and we do
need love at the bottom of it. And just because
women are willing to roll this and they're men as well,
don't get me wrong, but just because it's a vocation
(33:14):
and we are doing our best because we feel sorry
for these children. Actually, it's much bigger than that. It
should be that if you are a basic human, decent person,
you should be wanting to contribute to make sure that
nobody has to suffer like this in any way, shape
or form. And there are so many people in the
(33:35):
celebrity world that have kind of been sausage machinedu at
the other end, and it's like, therefore the grace of
God go I when you can see sometimes either it's
amazing and they're really really successful, or they struggle and
you know, they're not around anymore, and it's like, there's
got to be a happy medium where we can give
them a life that might not be the one they've chosen,
(33:57):
you know, to mum and dad and two point four children,
it will be as good as just different unless that choice.
Speaker 3 (34:07):
Well, children, children find themselves in the care system through
no fault of their own, obviously, and you know, so
it is important, you know, that we try to do
the best we can for them. Otherwise it's going to
be a lost generation of kids, and then what future
is there. You know, most of the governments over the
(34:29):
years have all promised to do what they can do,
but never have found And I mean when you go
back over the years, years ago, they were even shifted out,
shipped out to Australia. It's it's it's awful really to
think that people go through life, you know, with their
(34:49):
eyes shut and they don't see any of this what
goes on. And the media really have a certain responsibility
to try and also to educate peop people in their
way of thinking. So what I've been using is my
lived experience and my Olympic platform to relate and emphasize
with the public through social media which is a big
(35:12):
medium really, and also get that message out there so
that we can influence decision makers and influencers and bring
that change and make that difference to these young people.
And also give that platform so that these young people
can speak about their asks. You to be seen, heard
(35:33):
and valued, because that is so important when decision makers
are making decisions about these young people's lives, listen to
what these young people have to say. That's surely the
most important thing.
Speaker 1 (35:48):
Yeah, and there are some people, some of these young
people there are our next prime minister. We don't know
who they are, what they're capable of what their talents are.
They could be another Olympic champion, and they could be,
you know, a captain of industry. We don't know, but
if we don't give them half a chance, we're never
going to find out, are we.
Speaker 3 (36:08):
Well, exactly, that's the whole point of building you know,
proper foundation for them so they can actually also live
a fulfilling life, you know, a meaningful one, and to
actually reach their goals, you know, and have dreams themselves
about what it is that they want to achieve. And
(36:31):
also the most important thing is to break that cycle,
you know, so history doesn't repeat itself. Because we want
to be able to make sure that, you know, in
the future, you know, you keep them in. There's one
hundred and ten thousand kids, as I said, in the
care system. We want to try and reduce those numbers,
at least get them into safe, loving homes. And that's
(36:53):
but we will not do it if we're if people
are blindsided by what's going on. So let's talk about this,
Let's bring that collaboration, Let's regulate it better, make sure
it works properly, don't allow people to input the private
side of things. It should be regulated much more signed
(37:14):
up to a policy to follow up what's happening with
these children when the local governments sign off their responsibility
in their funding to private companies and then children are
getting split from their families and separate it from one
end of the country to another, siblings and then often
moves forty times, which is unacceptable. Where can they build
(37:38):
proper foundation in relationships? How can they work on their
education because every time they move, the curriculum is different
everywhere else. How can they feel stability? You know, these
kids from the care system have already got that instability
where they've been abandoned when they're neglected. I was sexually abused,
(38:03):
physically abused, mentally abused. You know, these are the things
that we talk about our children, you know in a
way that you know, why can't they do well for themselves? Well,
when you look at your children and push them out
at eighteen, you know, having had a good background, let
(38:26):
alone having been brought up in the care system, you know,
and abandoned with all those traumas that are going on.
Speaker 1 (38:33):
You can't just can't imagine that, can you. It just
it doesn't compute. Why would they take them away from
their siblings and put them in different parts of the
country that can't. On what planet does that make good sense?
Speaker 3 (38:46):
It just doesn't know, It doesn't see jilled. That's why
that Them's UK campaign is the summit in the next
year at the Guildhall or April twenty third, twenty fourth,
and that that's going to be the natural progression moving
forward about where do we go from here. Apart from
(39:06):
good practice and knowledge and influencing the decision makers, it
will also be about bringing change, asking those tough questions
about why is it that corporate governing bodies do not
act properly as the corporate parent. Why do they check
rail away their responsibilities and finance to private companies. Why
(39:28):
private companies allowed to make huge amounts of money out
of these most vulnerable children in society without it being
regulated and monitored in terms of signing a policy so
we can keep track of these young people so they
don't fall off the radar, so we can make sure
they have a safe and loving, caring upbringing. That's what
(39:49):
we all want.
Speaker 1 (39:50):
This is a scandal that you are allowing that you're
going to be highlighting and showing to everybody when the
summit comes. Who are the sort of people that you
expect that you need to have at this summit.
Speaker 3 (40:02):
Well, we've got we're non political, so we've got cross
party support. That's very important.
Speaker 1 (40:08):
So as we speaks, they'd be looking really bad if
they didn't support this, aren't they.
Speaker 3 (40:14):
I'm pleased to say that with the change of government
that it is looking more likely now that we have
a greater understanding and a better yeah, with a better
understanding from them. And I'm already working with the Here's Office,
and you know we are. We're already talking about the
(40:37):
future of our young people. How important that is in
future generations, and getting it right now is so key,
you know, so and bringing those collaborations together. You know,
it's about health because society's problems and the young peoples
live in the care have got mental health issues. Twenty
seven percent by the time they're fourteen, the homeless to say,
(41:02):
you know, thirty three percent of them at eighteen when
they go independent, already leaving homeless. Twenty seven percent of
under twenty one year olds that have lived in care
across the path of the care are in the prisons,
you know, and that's because there's nothing out there for them.
Nobody's guiding them properly, so they're getting groomed, targeted. Our
(41:25):
young girls are getting sexually abused and taking advantage of
because they're vulnerable. So it's all about bringing proper programs
together in order to make sure that these children are
in a safe haven. And one of the things that
Funker's UK campaign does is work collaboratively with the England
Football League Trust with the seventy two borrows up and
(41:48):
down the country, west Ham Safeguarding with all the London
boroughs also with Arsenal have just been in touch. They
also want to get involved with the program as well.
Essex Cricket County Club from East Angula all the way
through to East London. That's a big belt. You think
(42:08):
about the boroughs and the young people, the very many
young people that we can keep off the streets into
a place where they can either do the power of arts,
the power sport or power technology. We skill them up
working in this safe environment. They work with people in
their own communities and they have good role models there
(42:32):
and they can skew up and they can come out
with jobs at the end of them as well, so
they learn about life skills which is important, which is
you know, something that they will take with them for
the rest of their lives and adapt it to whatever
it is that they work within and their jobs such
as coaching, physios, there are medics, management, you know, any
(42:57):
sports venue has to have good you know it or
management that they do roundsman and there's so many other
opportunities there for them, you know. And there's the companies
that we work with corporately as well in the private
companies that are coming in skilling up these young children,
also skilling up some of their workforce to know how
(43:20):
to deal with trauma. And is so important because these
kids sometimes their behavior is misunderstood, you know, the trauma
that they are expressing through stress and they might be triggered.
It's misunderstood, you know. And if you understand trauma, you
will understand more or how to deal with these young people.
(43:40):
And that's what we need to work on, especially with
foster carers as well. Foster careers play a big role
in these young children's lives. We want good foster carers
and it's not just an ordinary job. It's a job
with a special need, you know. We want people to
look at it, you know, and enjoy That can be
very reward to have a child under their wing and
(44:03):
giving them this love and security of a good home,
but also bear in mind that it can be traumatic
with the traumas that they've been through.
Speaker 1 (44:15):
This is amazing. I'm just so in awe of what
you're aiming to achieve. I think anybody that has a
young person's academy in the sports field that they're in
or connected to a school and they want to make
it easier for cared for children in their score. Anyone
with an organization that might be able to skill up
(44:38):
these young people to make a note of that date
for the Guildhall and come along. How can they get
hold of tickets to come along well?
Speaker 3 (44:47):
And we will publicize it and it will be out there,
but it will be just make the date, put the
dates in your diary, twenty third and twenty fourth, twenty
twenty five at the or in London. And also help
us further by pre ordering you can the book My
(45:08):
Bright Shining Star, which comes out in October to twenty fourth.
Auto is the publisher, but you can go on Amazon
or you can order it pre order it from Waterstones
as well, and it's called My Bright Shining Star. It's
a lovely little book illustrated three to eleven year olds.
(45:29):
And I think if you're looking for a lovely gift
for your children, grand children or friends at Christmas, this
is a nice stocking filler. It's a lovely, gentle book
to be read to children, especially nighttime reading.
Speaker 1 (45:43):
Oh that's gorgeous. Thank you Fatima. And of course you're
all over social media, so if everyone can look for
Fatima's UK campaign and follow and like and retweet and
whatever else you can do, please do your bit to
make sure that, even if it's only a small bit,
that you've done something as a result of listening to
this podcast.
Speaker 3 (46:03):
We're a registered charity. I do just giveh because that's
all my challenges and just Giving is have shortlisted me
amongst a few others, as you know, somebody that they
want to look to see whether or not we can
win the just Giving Award for the amount of money
(46:24):
that we've raised for through just Giving, But that will
shortly be moved across to our charity account which is
registered with obviously with the Charities Commissions. So if there's
a company out there that would like to support us
give a large amounts to the charity, we are registered,
they can graw back the tax and if anybody looking
(46:48):
to do a challenge themselves that would like to call
Fatner's campaign as a benefactor for that would be delighted.
So doesn't matter how or are mutt it all, it
all helps to get these young people into working programs.
We do work in programs for kids. As I said
(47:09):
in the Powers Sport, Arts and Technology. For one child
per week, it's twenty pounds. For a whole year, it's
one thousand pounds to keep them engaged into these working programs.
So you'll be playing your part if you can support us.
So I'd just like to say thank you for allowing
me to share your platform, Jo and all the best.
Speaker 1 (47:30):
Thank you so much. And if anybody would like to
see Fatima online, we are going to be hosting her
at one of our sessions the last Tuesday in November.
I can't remember the date off top of my head.
Last Tuesday, November. Fatima is going to be doing a
short presentation at Collaboration Global. So if you want to
get tickets for that, go to Collaboration Global dot org
and book the meeting via that because I'm so excited
(47:53):
to have you join us as well, so you can
experience what our collaboration and our community is all about
as well. And then we'll see people in the room
will be tripping over themselves to help you, and this
woman is walking and crossing mountains in order to move mountains.
Thank you so much, wishing you every success with everything
that you do, Fatima, and look forward to seeing you
(48:14):
in the not too distant future.
Speaker 3 (48:16):
Yeah, God, bless you, thanks deal, thank you darling,
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