Tesney Wheeler

Thousands of unpaid miles travelled across the country. Thousands of young people spoken to in our care system. Hundreds of conferences, standing on stages calling for change. Countless hours away from my family, but they understand why I do it. They understand what we're fighting for and why this movement matters. Numerous TV interviews highlighting the crisis in our care system, when I should be celebrating the incredible achievements of young people leaving care, thriving in our communities and building successful futures. For years, I've dedicated my life to fighting for change. Not for recognition, not for applause, but because I know what happens when the system fails the very children it's supposed to protect. I'm making a personal appeal to the Prime Minister. Please consider making care experience a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010. This isn't about politics. It's about equality, protection and ensuring that young people who have experienced care are never disadvantaged simply because of their childhood. How many more young people must suffer before we finally act? I don't want to spend another decade talking about what's wrong with our care system. I want to spend it celebrating everything that's right, the incredible people working within it and the young people who deserve every opportunity to succeed. We cannot afford to lose another generation of young people waiting for change. The time to act is now.

I absolutely support Josh MacAlister’s plans to prevent young people from becoming homeless when they leave care. I was one of those statistics many years ago. But the heartbreaking reality is that decades later, we're still facing the same problems. Today, I'm supporting an 20-year-old care leaver who is at risk of homelessness because his local authority won't continue funding his independent living accommodation. Instead, they want to move him into shared housing, potentially destroying the stability he's worked so hard to build. The consequences? His mental health could deteriorate, his education could suffer, and he could end up homeless. We have to stop treating homelessness as simply a housing issue. It's about stability, mental health, education and the decisions being made about young people's futures. We cannot keep pushing young people leaving care backwards just as they're beginning to move forwards. Prevention doesn't start when someone becomes homeless. It starts long before, with the decisions we make about their lives.

When I was 13 years old, I tried to take my own life. That night, a complete stranger kicked down a garage door and saved me. I'd never met him before. We sat together for nearly three hours, just talking. Then life moved on. I lost contact with him, and for almost 30 years, I'd completely blocked out that night and the trauma surrounding it. Recently, out of nowhere, he reached out to me. Just a simple message saying, "Well done." And it stopped me in my tracks. Because sometimes we forget the people who helped us survive the darkest moments of our lives. That man probably never imagined what his actions would mean to a frightened 13-year-old boy. But I'm here today because someone cared enough to intervene. Somewhere out there tonight, there's another young person in care who needs someone to show up. One person can change a life. Sometimes, they can save one. And I'll never stop trying to be that person for someone else.

Five years ago, I appeared on a BBC Newsnight special with Katie Razzall, exposing the shocking reality of children being placed in unregulated accommodation, without proper safeguards, oversight or accountability. We exposed a system that was failing its most vulnerable children. Since then, we've seen children abused, exploited by criminal gangs and, tragically, lives lost. Five years later, we're still having the same conversations. More reviews. More reports. More promises. Millions of pounds of taxpayers money spent, yet children continue to be failed. How many more reviews do we need? How many more children must suffer? How many more lives must be lost before we finally act? We don't need another conversation about change. We need change. Enough is enough.

I'm writing my third and final book about the care system. Coming 2027. This time, I'm exposing what really happens behind the scenes. The campaigning, the lobbying, the politics, the promises and the failure to act. We have the solutions. We have the people. So why haven't we built a care system we can be proud of? Enough is enough. This time, it's about SOLUTIONS. INNOVATION. CREATION. CHANGE. It's about breaking barriers, challenging the status quo and building a care system where young people don't just survive — they THRIVE. Enough talking about what's broken. It's time to build what's possible. I want the next generation to understand how power works, challenge it and take their place at the table. If you can't make change, become the change. We invest in innovation today, or pay for crisis tomorrow.

Crisis doesn’t clock off at 5pm. Our support systems shouldn’t either. Too many young people in our care system face their toughest moments in the evenings and at weekends, when the people and services they rely on have gone home. Charities providing safe spaces and sanctuaries play a vital role. But when support isn’t available, A&E can become the only door a young person knows how to walk through. We need systems that give young people access to clear information, practical help and human support after hours. Invest in innovation today, or we pay for crisis tomorrow.