Lexi's Glue!

So, here we are, another blog post! Im still catching up from all the posts from the event, and catching up with all the others ive not written because I was trying to "catch up" with posts from seven months ago. On route, for accuracy, I’d record voice notes during the madness of each day, and at the end of the day. Everytime something good or bad would happen, it'd be voice noted, then transcribed, then (maybe) posted. It’s far easier to ramble to a recorder than stare down a blinking cursor. Trust me, I’ve tried both.

Truth be told, during that event? I was running on adrenaline, snacks, and roughly four hours of sleep a night, if I was lucky. Days were chaotic, nights, for me, were later, and mornings got progressively more dramatic. So now, I’m here to fill in the gaps, rewind a bit, and talk about some truly remarkable people.

Let me introduce you to the dynamic duo: Theresa and Paul. Or, as I like to think of them: Superwoman and Superman meets Santa Claus, but more efficient and with Wi-Fi.

So how did we meet these legendary people? It all began when Cat and I were lucky enough to be invited to help set up a charity led by the incredible Susie Appleby. Alongside a dream team that included the fabulous Tory, Cathy, Natasha and a few other legends, we dived in, headfirst, feet first, sideways, whatever got us moving.

Then entered Theresa. I was told she was a businesswoman, clever, strong... and within five minutes, I realised they’d undersold her. She’s a powerhouse wrapped in kindness. And Paul? Equally brilliant, quietly capable, and armed with a calm that could de-escalate a volcano.

So with End2End comms side, we initially had someone volunteering to build our website, which was sweet, if wildly optimistic. After six months of polite nodding and vague progress, we were still very much in the land of “Under Construction.” Cue Theresa and Paul. In swooped this wonder-couple like the Avengers of digital content. Within days, Paul had built a beautiful, functioning website...seamless, professional, and done. Just like that. I stood there wondering, “Who are these people?!” I half expected them to fly away in a sleigh, or disappear through a bolt of lightening in a DMC DeLprean!

They didn’t stop at the website. They came to every meeting. They supported the event with such heart it practically glowed. They planned the launch, every detail, while also running a business, handling social media, and basically pulling rabbits out of hats daily. Paul even drove our support vehicle for a week. Calm, kind, and completely unfazed by the chaos. He was just amazing. I finally had someone to talk to as well. And then there was the day, the unforgettable day, when school children lined the streets to cheer us on. They organised that too. It was the best day of my life. No exaggeration.

The last seven months weren’t easy. The event was harder than I expected, not just physically, but more so, emotionally. I learned that not everyone is lovely, as I had once believed. I began it as a fully formed human being, who was then shattered into smithereens... But over the past seven months,Theresa and Paul, piece by piece, have slowly begun to glue me back together again. It was so reassuring to know that some people are really, truly, wonderfully lovely.

Theresa and Paul didn’t know me very well when they stepped in, but they believed in the cause. They supported me, lifted me, and stuck by me, even when things got busy and messy.

Having good people in your corner isn’t about numbers. It’s about quality, and these two are solid platinum. Their kids are brilliant, hilarious, and just as kind-hearted. And I count myself beyond lucky to know them. Since the event, they’ve held me together, alongside my amazing wife (Cat), Becky and a few other heroes. They are, quite literally, Lexi’s glue. (Yes, that’s a thing now.) The good thing about being glued back together is that often it makes you stronger than you thought possible 💪

This post is basically one gloriously tangled ball of gratitude, like trying to untangle fairy lights and realising each bulb is actually a person who helped me not just build a blog or a website, but keep my digital (and emotional) sanity intact. Huge shoutout to Theresa, Paul, and the rockstar crew at Adopstar. You didn’t just make the event special, you sprinkled it with magic and a bit of behind-the-scenes wizardry. You’re all ridiculously lovely, and honestly, “thank you” feels like showing up to a black-tie gala in flip-flops...it just doesn’t do you justice.

You are amazing 👏