My struggle was with parents who drank heavily: my mother eventually lost her life as a result of alcohol addiction. My father was a perpetrator of domestic abuse. I never felt loved, but felt mainly fear and stress.
I was born in Rochdale and am deeply proud of my town. But my home environment wasn't safe: my sisters and I were neglected and subjected to cruel emotional abuse from our parents.
Those adverse childhood experiences disadvantaged me at the time but have now become a force for positive change. They've shaped my input and commitment to the Raising Rochdale initiative, where our aim is to make our local area a great place for all to “grow up, get on and live well”.
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