NATIONAL DIVERSITY AWARDS 4 February 2022
Wow !!! What a night !!!
What a beautiful venue at the Liverpool Anglican Cathedral in a city I have fallen madly in love with !
I have met the most beautiful human beings who are making such a difference to this world and I know I have made some friends for life .
CONGRATULATIONS to all the well deserving winners. I would have hated to have been a judge !! It was passionately electrifying to be in a room amongst leaders and pioneers . I shall be absolutely buzzing unbearably with energy and even more motivation for weeks !! It all still feels like a dream that I was even there, nominated and shortlisted.
ITV news and other sponsors were all there and even had my photo taken on my first ever red carpet. ( I normally hoover carpets, not have my picture taken on them !! )
I am SO PROUD to have been awarded a Certificate of Achievment as a shortlisted Positive Role Model at this great National Event which was live streamed from YouTube as well as the National Diversity Awards website. I am particularly proud of being shortlisted out of a whopping 50,000 nominees because this for me was always about the children and young adults I work with and do such extensive charity work, public speaking and advocating for – the unique, ABLE and incredible people whom I have watched grow their wings and find their voices and strengths – these people with no voices whom I work with, learn from and fight so hard for.
This shortlist nomination will remain on the National Diversity Website for the next FIVE years !!
https://www.nationaldiversityawards.co.uk>shortlist
It was also overwhelming and strange but also very emotional to feel seen for the first time as myself in over twenty years.
I have absolute dedication to getting others seen and heard ; but I have never,ever thought about being seen as me, Giuliana . I am always surrounded by people and just intensely focused on doing all I can to bring about real change for them , for us All.
I never expected nor have ever looked for the incredible experiences and opportunities I have had along this journey. I am still pinching myself.
A mother to four neurodiverse children, my journey with my autistic 
son Ollie in particular ,we were often left for weeks or even months at a time trying to survive well below the breadline, enduring ever intensifying domestic abuse on every level, including having our home saturated with illegal spyware and cameras. My work bag and car would be tracked as would my children’s bags if they ever went to see friends or girlfriends. I was dragged from a speeding car by my coat collar when it was discovered I was writing my book ; I was accused of everything you could possible imagine. I began this work with just £50 in my pocket and a badly broken foot ( I had invented the job as no one was working with autistic children at that time in this way as far as the CMA knew) .
I still managed to somehow keep it not just going, but growing ,through two Crown Court hearings and a High Court Hearing where my ex husband’s custodial sentence of 21 years , which had been broken down into 4 concurrent sentences which had brought it down to six and a half years, was challenged by him.
I had even dropped my own charges in a “deal breaker” plea from the defence barrister , to protect my children.
This was unanimously refused by the three judges.
Then COVID hit us all and I had to learn rapidly in order to protect a business based around touch and to keep my message growing.
I have achieved all of this totally on my own, no team, no staff, no sets of volunteers , no backing of any sort …. I was the only one there in this situation.
So for once in my life I really do feel the hugest pride and emotion in being awarded my certificate.
I will use this to be and do even more, even if I break myself, because I love and believe in what I do and things need to change for ANYONE who doesn’t have a voice or basic human rights.
Labels, colours, sexual orientation, gender, culture or creed …
We all bleed red.
We all need to be included.
We all have a right to be heard.
So an enormous, enormous, ENORMOUS heartfelt thank you to ALL of you who have cheered me on, kept me strong and believed in me during this incredible first experience. ThAnk you again to Tess Eagle Swan of KRATU fame for nominating me in the first place and to Anna Kennedy OBE for supporting me on the night. What a a beautiful time to have shared.
I will never forget it and know that this is the platform I needed to TURN UP THE VOLUME until we are ALL heard, valued and included.
Click on the link below to the whole evening for those of you who missed the live streaming of the evening and would like to see the event:
I did make a special YouTube video on my channel to say how I felt about this incredible Awards ceremony. It’s not very long but absolutely captures what this whole evening and my certificate mean to me .
Please click on the link below if you would like to see it.
