Every year, about this time, I send an email to you all asking you to support me in my latest, hair-brained, fundraising scheme to raise money for Auditory Verbal UK (Three Men In A Boat, Three Men In Another Boat, One Man On The Road)

You have all been so very supportive of me over the years and, as a result, Auditory Verbal UK has been able to put your money to fantastic use changing the lives of deaf babies and children.

For those of you who don't know them, there is a short film that talks about them and the fantastic work they have done to help Alice and Ollie here.

I will never be able to put into words what they have done for my family but I have made it a lasting goal to do whatever I can to ensure that every deaf child is able to benefit from their great work. Your generous donations make such a difference to families on low incomes for whom access would otherwise be difficult.

I'm sorry to ask again, but please do help me to help them (and think of me as I trudge around Silverstone yet again!) and know that you are genuinely enabling deaf children to learn to listen and speak alongside their hearing peers. Every little helps.