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PRsonal: ‘The stories are hard to believe’ - Meet Power of Women’s Claire Preston

In this series of podcasts, Charlotte Nichols, managing director of PR agency Harvey & Hugo, gets up close and PRsonal with a variety of well-known business faces. Nothing is off limits as she digs deep to get to know the person behind the professional…

In this episode…

Claire Preston lives and breathes strong women.

And during the last few years, she’s had to show enormous personal strength as a mum to help her daughter overcome a horrific eating disorder.

In this highly emotional episode of PRsonal, Claire relives the agony of watching her teenager daughter’s mental and physical health decline during the pandemic – and the heartbreaking words that still leaves her in tears today.

Thankfully there’s a happy ending. However, for Claire – who is head of operations at the Power of Women – she also discusses how for many women in the North East there’s sadly no such thing.

She tells host Charlotte about the shocking prevalence of female genital mutilation and honour-based violence in the region, and her work to make life for women in the North East that bit better.

Key moments

00:00:07 | Introduction to the podcast and guest, Claire Preston | 00:00:32 | The scale of female genital mutilation (FGM) in Britain | 00:01:28 | The honor based killings ‘that we know of’| 00:05:43 | ‘The stories are hard to believe’ | 00:06:41 | Middlesbrough identified as one of the worst places for girls to grow up | 00:08:49 | Why we need to influence youngsters beyond TikTok and Love Island | 00:12:13 | ‘I didn’t have any confidence until my 40s’ | 00:15:52 | Confidence comes from those around you and serving others. | 00:18:31 | ‘We need more women helping other women’ | 0[0:22:25] | Raising a 16-year-old daughter – but Claire initially wanted a boy | 00:25:26] | ‘We want to raise strong girls’ | 00:27:42] | How hard is it being a single parent? | 00:29:59] | Reconnecting with her daughter’s dad during COVID | 00:30:34] | Daughter’s struggle with mental health and eating disorder | 00:33:41] | The heartbreak of hearing your daughter say she doesn’t want to see tomorrow 00:37:40] | ‘I don’t know if my daughter would be here if it wasn’t for this one person’| 00:38:16] | ‘Too many young people think it is cool to not eat’ | 00:39:11] | Her daughter’s ‘fab’ recovery – and how she’s back playing sport | 00:41:02] | How covid was a major factor in her daughter’s eating disorder | 00:44:54] | Why she doesn’t want her daughter to follow in her footsteps | 00:47:41] | What Claire wishes she knew when she was younger | 00:55:38 | The concept of a higher power - and the power of a faith healer| 00:56:19 | Story of a faith healer and the idea of a predetermined life | 00:57:52 | How do you want to be remembered when you die?|| 01:03:18 | ‘The best answer we’ve had in a long time!’: Claire rates her sexual prowess | 01:04:07 | Let Harvey & Hugo help grow your podcast