Local businesses show incredible support
We are delighted with the show of support from local businesses. Avery Walters Solicitors, This Is Distorted, Peek PR, Shears Yard, The Farm Dairy, The AI Standard, and Pro Ex Clean have all bought tables for the Strong Steps, Bright Futures Ball — a brilliant show of local generosity behind Freddie's story. Every table booked brings us closer to our fundraising goal, and it means the world to have so many familiar local names standing behind this cause. Thank you all — we can't wait to celebrate together on the night.
Yorkshire's first Family Educational Support Day
Along with fundraising, the Stronger Steps team is committed to building a real community of support for families and children living with rare autoimmune and connective tissue conditions. In partnership with Leeds Hospitals Charity and Lupus UK, Becky teamed up with Dr Tania Amin to host Yorkshire's first Family Educational Support Day — bringing together 14 families with children aged 4 to 17, living with conditions including Juvenile Dermatomyositis (JDM), Lupus, and Mixed Connective Tissue Disease (MCTD).
The day combined informal peer connection with expert-led sessions — consultant updates, rheumatology nursing advice, wellbeing support, and honest conversations with young people who've grown up with these conditions themselves. Children took part in crafts and games while parents had space to ask the questions that are hardest to ask elsewhere, from schooling to long-term prognosis.
For many families, it was the first time they'd met anyone who truly understood their day-to-day reality. As one parent put it: "It was great to meet other parents experiencing the same." Another simply said: "We have all really enjoyed today, thank you so much for putting it on."
It's the first step toward a lasting regional support network — with more family days, an ongoing peer community, and regular updates planned for the future.