This September, together with 20 colleagues from across A&O, I will be trekking from Dana to Petra in Jordan to raise funds for a magnificent charity - War Child.

I'll be honest - I'm really looking forward to this.  One of the world's greatest hikes, astonishing scenery, four biosphere climates. All the stuff of memories, even if I am petrified of the heat - never my natural territory.

But there's a really, really important reason.  What I do by choice is as nothing compared to what some children, with or without friends or family, are forced to do and suffer.

You don't have to do much research to uncover astonishing facts. Jordan is the country which takes more refugees than any other - over 2.7 million even before the end of 2016. Over 1.3m have comes from neighbouring Syria. In a country (and not a wealthy one) with a population of only 8m. It's less than six hours from the UK, but couldn't be more different.

But it really gets heart-wrenching when you see and hear the personal stories. Kids fleeing with their families in the middle of the night with the barest of belongings.  Separation, starvation, beatings. Displacement, recruitment into armed militia, abuse, physical and mental trauma.

I don't think any parent can really reconcile that - especially compared to our own comfortable lives.  So please help me to raise funds for War Child, such a brilliant and important charity in these turbulent times.

They can't stop the violence. But they can take the kids in, give them shelter, educate them, equip them with skills for the future, give them emotional support and, eventually, help them return home to rebuild.

Thank you all.

Just to add:  all costs are covered, so your donations will all go to War Child.  And if I meet my target, A&O will add £1,000.