Dear family, friend, colleague, neighbour

On March 17 I will be doing a 5k run in aid of Macmillan nurses and I would be very, very grateful if you would sponsor me.

Why Macmillan nurses? 5 years ago a lovely Chester friend, Penny, died stupidly young but was able to die at home with her family thanks to Macmillan nurses. And recently they have supported my fantastic niece in her cancer treatment. It's a wonderful organisation.

Why a 5k run? Penny was a force of nature, able to do half a dozen things at once and was a leading member of Chester's famous drum band, Karamba Samba. It seemed fitting that I should do something that demanded a lot of effort – and this certainly has!

And why support me? Well, it will definitely be the last sponsored event I ever do!  

- I am not a runner – it has taken me 5 years to get to this stage and I run slower than most people walk.  

- When I do this run I will have reached an age when both numbers reflect my body shape. (anyone who suggests that means I'll be 88 has to donate twice!)     

- I don't even have a pony tail - informal research worldwide has proved to me conclusively that all good female runners have pony tails. 

So please, if you can, sponsor me and help me raise money for Macmillan nurses so they can continue to help people like Penny and her family. 

Many thanks to all those who can donate and to Parkrun Chester for allowing me to do this sponsored run during the March 17 Parkrun.

Mary Ann Cameron