Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

This is my tenth consecutive Great North Run. As several of you have indicated , every year I suggest it may be my last but this year I think it will be. The truth is, every year it becomes more painful and requires more time.  So please donate generously, as you always do. Last year you helped me raise over £4000 and, this year, I will donate 10p for every £1 pledged.

My chosen charity is, again, Arthritis Research UK. Not just because they support my laboratory's research, and not just because my own knee is starting to ache, but because arthritis and related diseases are so common and yet so easily overlooked when it comes to charitable donating. In fact arthritis is so common that sometimes we don't see the wood for the trees and some people, whether children or adults, don't realise their 'aches and pains' may represent something serious and potentially treatable. 

I believe that, during our lifetimes, arthritis will become less common - either through prevention or cure - as a consequence of the type of research funded by your donations. But it won't go away, and we will still be doing battle with many of the more severe arthritic diseases - lupus, vasculitis, scleroderma, Sjogren's syndrome  - which afflict adults and children alike, sometimes with fatal consequences. As I mentioned above, I will donate 10p for every £1 pledged, so please make me wince by pledging your support in as generous a way as you feel able to do.

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. So it’s the most efficient way to donate – saving time and cutting costs for the charity.