5 hours, 30 minutes and 12 seconds later I completed the New York Marathon! Not too bad for an overweight 45 year old I suppose!

Why did I put myself through this? Co-operation Ireland do vital peace-building work in Northern Ireland and in the Republic of Ireland. They work directly with communties affected by the sectarian divides in Northern Ireland and build peace between the communities there. The men and women of violence may have put away their weapons but the attitudes that underpinned the violence in Northern Ireland remain.

So, your donation will go directly to funding Co-operation Ireland's work in building peace. Young people who might otherwise turn to violence can be encouraged to use their energy building, not destroying their communities. People who distrust their neighbours "from the other side" meet and engage with each other to build mutual trust and remove the walls that exist not only on the streets, but in their minds too.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

So please dig deep and donate now!