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Fighting spirit

Thousands of women strive to go that extra mile and make a difference to their own life or the lives of those around them. Fabulous met one inspirational woman who doesn’t let anything get in the way of her mission to care for others.

Maz Faulkner knows what it’s like to always be on the go. As well as being a mum of four, she also volunteers for the charity Home-Start, which gives a helping hand to struggling families, including single mums and dads, victims of domestic violence, and disabled parents.

"I've been a single parent and my eldest daughter Zoe has special needs so I know how these families feel," Maz, 39 from Leicester, says. Maz attended a 12-week course before she began working as a volunteer for the charity.

"I learnt so much during those 12 weeks, such as how to handle disruptive children, but I was still really nervous when I went to visit my first family. I’ve been volunteering for five years now and I still really enjoy providing support to other parents," she says.

"I don’t have all the answers, but I can be there to listen or even just give parents an hour to themselves while I look after the kids. I always keep in touch with the families I’ve helped – and I’ve made great friends!"

Maz’s day starts at 6.30am when she makes sure her two youngest children, Codie, 12, and Dale, 15, get ready for school. She then has to get eighteen-year-old Zoe up and washed before taking all the kids to school. Next stop is a visit to a Home-Start family, where she spends time helping out. Her busy day ends when she picks up the children from school, before making dinner ready for her husband Martyn’s arrival home from work.

Incredibly, Maz is constantly looking for new challenges and is currently applying to become a foster parent with husband Martyn. "Sometimes I think that I must be mad to take on even more, but even when I feel tired I look around me and realise it’s all worth it."