St Albans schoolgirl’s single will help divided families

A St Albans schoolgirl has released a Christmas single for a national children’s charity to help raise awareness of the damaging effects of divorce on children and young people in the UK.

Asha Banks, 11, is a student of Abbey Primary School in St Albans and a performer at the Top Hat Stage School.

Having appeared in the West End since she was only eight years old, starring in productions of Les Miserables and, most recently Olivier-nominated play 1984, Asha has now turned her talents to charity single, ‘Christmas at my Mum’s House’, composed by Yuval Havkin and Kate Ingmer on behalf of Kids in the Middle. The charity hopes to use this single to draw attention to the hardships of Christmas for young children whose parents are separated.

Asha’s mum Sophie said: “I am so proud of Asha. She has always loved singing and she sounds so beautiful on this track. She is really pleased to be helping with such a worthy cause.”

Asha added: “I love Yuval’s song and was so excited to professionally record a single! I’m so glad he asked me to do it, and that I can help the Kids in the Middle charity at the same time.”

The single follows two reports highlighting the devastating effects of divorce on young people in the UK. Resolution, an association for family lawyers and mediators said exam results were suffering due to undue stress caused by the separation of parents, and a government report highlighted the lack of support for young children.

Kids in the Middle spokesman Duncan Fisher said: “The proportion of 16 year olds who have experienced the separation of their parents is heading for nearly one in two.

“We are releasing this single to raise awareness of all the work that is going on to listen to children and young people more and to ensure that there is great on-line information and support for anyone reaching out for some help.”

Asha’s single is available online to download from iTunes, Amazon and Google Play