There's a lot happening over the next couple of weeks, and for the first time in a while, I feel we have a real opportunity to turn the support we've built into something that could make a meaningful difference.
Next Wednesday, 21 October, Richard Ratcliffe and I are confirmed to be attending Prime Minister's Questions in Parliament, before making our way to the Foreign Office to deliver our petition.
I want to start by thanking everyone who has already signed up to join us. It means a tremendous amount to know that so many of you are willing to give up your time to stand alongside our family. We've spent months building awareness, having difficult conversations, challenging decisions and asking people not to forget Mum and Craig. Next Wednesday is an opportunity to bring all of that together, in person, at the very heart of Government.
And there's still time to be part of it! Whether you've been supporting us from the beginning or have only recently joined us, we'd love to have you there. You don't need to have been involved in campaigning before. Just turning up, standing together and showing that people care is a powerful message in itself.
This week has also given me a little more reason to be hopeful. Being able to speak with Mum and Craig again was wonderful, and hearing them sounding positive has certainly lifted my spirits. But what struck me afterwards was how quickly ordinary life carries on. There are still jobs to do, responsibilities to juggle, conversations to have and decisions to make. I think that's something people don't always see about situations like ours. Life doesn't stand still while you're fighting to bring someone home. Somehow, you have to find a way to do both.
Perhaps that's why I'm approaching the next couple of weeks with a renewed sense of determination.
On Tuesday 27 October, we have our meeting with Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband, and I cannot overstate how important I believe that meeting could be.
I want to be fair and acknowledge that there have been some encouraging signs recently. There has been engagement at a senior level, some positive developments and indications that our concerns are being heard. I know the Foreign Secretary has personally been involved, and I welcome that. I've always said that when things move in the right direction, it's important to recognise it.
But we cannot afford to mistake encouraging conversations for meaningful progress. There are still important diplomatic options that we've been asking the Government to consider, questions that deserve proper answers and decisions that I believe need to be made at the highest level.
What I'm asking for now is the Foreign Secretary's full political weight behind Mum and Craig's case. Not simply his attention, but his determination to see this through, to challenge what needs challenging and to ensure that every credible avenue is being properly explored. I want to leave that meeting with a clearer understanding of what the Government is prepared to do next, rather than another list of things that have already been done.
I also want the Foreign Secretary to understand the strength of feeling behind this campaign. That is why Wednesday's petition delivery matters so much. Every signature represents somebody who has taken a moment out of their own life to care about two people they may never have met. That is something quite extraordinary, and something I intend to make sure is properly recognised.
I've included our GoFundMe page below as well. The generosity we've received has helped sustain everything happening behind the scenes, much of which never makes it into these updates. I'm enormously grateful for that support and for the many different ways people continue to help us keep this campaign moving.
https://www.gofundme.com/f/free-lindsay-and-craig
I suppose the biggest difference for me this week is that, although there is still so much uncertainty, we have some very tangible opportunities ahead of us. The phone call was a reminder of what we're fighting for, the petition delivery is a chance to demonstrate the incredible support behind Mum and Craig, and the meeting with Ed Miliband is an opportunity to push for the action that we so desperately need.
There is still a long way to go, and I've learnt not to get too carried away by promises or encouraging words. But I'm not going to overlook the good things either. We've worked incredibly hard to get to this point, and I intend to make the absolute most of it.
Thank you for everything you've done to help us get here. I know I say it often, but your support genuinely does make a difference, and I hope to see as many of you as possible next Wednesday.
We're getting our voices heard. Now we need to make sure they're acted upon.
And above everything else, we need to get Mum and Craig home.