CURB Founder

Maureen Booth-Martin

 

Early Advocacy and Medical Campaigns

 

By June 2012, Maureen Booth-Martin had worked resolutely for thirty years in the voluntary sector — and continues to serve as a dedicated volunteer across a wide field of need, from medical equipment shortages to bullying in schools.

 

Her journey began in 1982, fundraising for local charities. In June 1985, her six-week-old baby developed life-threatening breathing difficulties known as Apnoea Attacks, which can result in fatalities in newborns. Within days of admission to Llandough Hospital’s Special Care Baby Unit, Maureen discovered a critical shortage of Apnoea Alarms — devices that trigger a piercing siren within seconds of a baby stopping breathing.

 

Maureen launched an urgent campaign, joining forces with the local Police Service and Cardiff communities to raise funds. Despite each alarm costing approximately £2,000, her efforts secured ample supplies for Llandough and other baby units across Cardiff. Families with high-risk infants — including those vulnerable to SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) — received alarms free of charge.

 

She went on to initiate the Llandough Hospital CT Scanner Appeal, later funded by Welsh children’s cancer charity LATCH, with Maureen’s contributions supporting building work and maintenance. Her final fundraising efforts for the Radiology Department resulted in the purchase of a Piggostat X-ray machine for newborns — sourced from the USA, with additional funds raised for transport and installation.

 

The remaining funds were used to purchase a stereo system for the children’s cancer unit, allowing young patients to listen to music during treatment.

 

Respiratory Support and Community Impact

 

Maureen continued fundraising, donating numerous travelling Nebulisers to local hospitals for children and young people with chronic asthma. These devices reduced hospital admissions and finally allowed families to take short breaks and holidays — a previously impossible option.

 

Anti-Bullying Advocacy and CURB’s Origins

 

Maureen’s next focus was bullying in schools. At the time, the only support she could find was Kidscape, based in London. During a traumatic period for her family, Kidscape offered vital guidance — and in return, Maureen became their main volunteer for Wales.

 

This led to the creation of the Cardiff Anti-Bullying Initiative (CABI). By 1991, its overwhelming success prompted Maureen to restructure the helpline, expanding services for parents of children affected by bullying. Thus, CURB (Children Under Risk from Bullying) — Wales’ first and only anti-bullying organisation — was born.

 

Despite her family commitments, Maureen continued organising fundraising events for other local charities in need.

 

Jonathan’s Story & Community Action

A Family Tragedy and a Promise Kept

 

In January 1993, Maureen was deep into another fundraising mission — working to secure thousands of pounds to send nine seriously ill children from Cardiff Royal Infirmary’s Renal Unit on their first-ever holiday. The plan included nursing staff, a specialist dietician, and vital medical equipment to keep the children alive during their trip.

 

But on June 15th, 1993, tragedy struck. Maureen’s youngest son, Jonathan, then eight years old, was mowed down by a hit-and-run driver. She stood helpless as paramedics resuscitated him at the roadside — the driver had left him to die.

 

Jonathan suffered catastrophic head injuries. After hours of surgery, Maureen was told her son would remain in a permanent vegetative state — a prognosis that would have broken many.

 

But Maureen honoured her pledge. She completed the fundraising and ensured the children went to Euro Disney for four days. They had a fantastic time.

 

From Grief to Action

 

While Jonathan remained in hospital, local residents approached Maureen with concerns about speeding and anti-social behaviour in their area. They had written to authorities for 18 months — to no avail.

 

Maureen met with them on hospital grounds. With their support, she founded the Mynachdy Tenants and Residents Action Group, which quickly expanded into the Mynachdy, Gabalfa & Maindy Community Action Group (MGM).

 

Rehabilitation and Recognition

 

During the acute phase of Jonathan’s brain injuries, Maureen discovered there were no rehabilitation units for children — only adults. She gathered information from adult centres and designed her own programme for Jonathan: daily physiotherapy, simple achievement targets, and eventually a more vigorous schedule to strengthen areas of weakness.

 

Over nineteen years, Maureen’s persistence led to exceptional outcomes. Jonathan achieved outstanding academic results, securing a place at the University of Glamorgan in 2011 and progressing to his second year.

 

Her dedication was formally recognised by the Court of Protection/Public Guardianship Office, which commended her as an unpaid Court Appointed Deputy for Jonathan — honouring her unwavering commitment to his safety and wellbeing.

 

Rebuilding CURB

 

In the wake of personal trauma and sustained advocacy, Maureen restructured and re-launched CURB from Cardiff Central Police Station on May 1st, 2006.

 

Six years later, on May 1st, 2012, CURB celebrated its 21st birthday — a legacy built from lived truth, not funding.

 

CURB became a lifeline for families navigating bullying, offering emotional support, procedural guidance, and access to legal advocacy. But as the founder’s own circumstances shifted — including health challenges and the emotional toll of navigating the legal system as a Litigant in Person — CURB’s role evolved.

 

CURB’s Evolving Advocacy

 

CURB’s founder continues to advocate for children and families — but her journey as a Litigant in Person has revealed another layer of harm.

 

What began as a campaign against bullying has now widened to expose hidden risks:

• Procedural failures
• Regulatory blind spots
• Systemic misconduct that places families at risk

These dangers are rarely acknowledged — especially when parents are forced to navigate the legal system without representation.

 

CURB now threads this reality into its advocacy, highlighting the lived experience of Litigants in Person and the impact on children, families, and emotional safety.

 

CURB’s founder was appointed as a Court Deputy for her son, but navigated the legal system without representation — building and submitting formal documentation as a Litigant in Person.

In 2021, that role took another turn when she was forced to confront a scam builder — a confrontation that exposed hidden risks within the legal system itself.

 

What she uncovered placed children and families in danger — not through neglect, but through procedural blind spots and failures rarely acknowledged.

 

CURB now threads this reality into its advocacy, highlighting the lived experience of Litigants in Person and the systemic failures they face when trying to keep their own child safe . The legal system — meant to protect the vulnerable — became the source of untold stress, leaving lasting harm.

 

CURB now speaks to this truth, not to accuse, but to protect others from the same fate.

 

CURB’s Name — Two Strands, One Archive

 

CURB began as a campaign to protect Children Under Risk from Bullying — a name born from grief, advocacy, and the urgent need to safeguard emotional safety.

As the work widened, CURB also came to reflect a broader mission: Communities United Reaching and Benefiting — a strand that speaks to systemic reform, shared protection, and the lived experience of Litigants in Person.

Both definitions remain true. One speaks to origin, the other to evolution. Together, they form a contradiction-resistant archive — one that threads emotional clarity with procedural truth.

 

To learn more about this evolving strand of CURB’s work, visit our dedicated pages: Understanding the Litigant in Person Role (LiP — Litigants in Person).

 

These pages include the founder’s lived experience — a journey shaped by advocacy, trauma, and the shifting realities of self-representation. Each dossier threads a distinct chapter of CURB’s legal and emotional archive.

 

This evolving strand now threads into LiP — a contradiction-resistant initiative shaped by lived experience, systemic exclusion, and the urgent need to make the legal system legible for all.

 

(Children Under Risk from Bullying)

 

   

 

 

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