It’s pretty heavy-going. Wars, tragedies, horrific acts of violence, abuse and so many people in need. I know that I can just turn it off and that in itself makes me very, very privileged. At the press of a button, I can bury my head in the sand. I can literally opt out of all the news I don’t want to hear to avoid the distress. It’s tempting; they do say that ignorance is bliss. I think it’s okay to take a little time out from things if you need to, but I know that it doesn’t actually help matters long-term. I want to be able to help but so many problems in the world leave me feeling powerless. And that is not a good feeling.

When you find out that there is something you can help with, it gives you a little hope. And that’s exactly what I’ve found by coming into contact with Rochelle Courtenay. Words like “empowering” and “inspirational” are usually not in my vocabulary. I find that they are often over-used and wasted on people that aren’t worthy of them. In the case of Rochelle Courtenay, however, I have to make an exception because she is more than worthy. Here’s a woman who became aware of a problem and decided to do something about it. Not only did she do something about it, she’s made it easy for other people to get on board and help. Share the Dignity, the charity Rochelle has founded, allows us to help women in need. You can donate money, like any regular charity, but the point of difference with not-for-profit group Share the Dignity is that they also collect useful items. You can actually give someone exactly what they need.