I signed up to do the 2019 Brighton Marathon to raise money for the Happy Baby Community (charity number: 1181633). As you may know, I really don't enjoy running (prior to this I've only ever run a miserable 10km) and I do like beer, so this is a big personal challenge for me.

Running 42,195m on Sunday 14 April is terrifying, and the donations raised here are really the only thing keeping me plodding along all the wet and cold training miles and the beer-less nights!

****************************** Update 5th April ******************************

Big news, I will not be the only one running for the Happy Baby community on the day! Roger, Em and Harry are all joining to do the Brighton 10km which takes place on the morning of the marathon.

Roger had this to say:

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I've volunteered at the Happy Baby Community over the past five years and I've seen first hand the warmth, strength and positive impact that belonging to this Community has had for over 400 women and their babies and young children. This is a cause close to my heart and I am immensely grateful for donations of any size. Thank you for your generosity.

Being a new mum in a new city can be a terrifying experience. Without family or friends, London is a big and bustling metropolis where it is easy to get lost and even easier to feel very alone.

Now imagine doing all that when you don't speak the language very well, you don't understand the systems, and it has taken all that you have to escape from a terrifying place and situation. The mums they work with have survived some of humanity’s worst atrocities - this includes incidents of gender based violence, forced prostitution, modern day slavery and human trafficking.

These women and their little families have endured long, dangerous journeys to free themselves from these situations; they have come to London seeking safety here or some have been trafficked and held captive in the UK and have now escaped. They have little to call their own, they are receive a small allowance from the Home Office of £37.70 a week to pay for everything, not allowed to work or use their skills.

The women in this Community have complex physical, emotional and psychological needs, many having suffered years of being physically and emotionally abused or held captive.

The Happy Baby Community in North London is where these mums and their babies can come and get all the help that they need so that they can grow and start to recover from these devastating experiences of the past.

This is no ordinary Charity. The Charity is training over 20 of these bright and resilient women to be the new leaders and trustees for the Community. Committed to reaching more mums and supporting them to build a bright future for their babies and themselves. It will be the first Human Rights Charity run entirely by its members.

All they want is to give their children a chance of a better life, to study, to work and to participate as normal citizens.

What your money will do to help the Mums and their babies at the Happy Baby Community?

1. Over 60 mums join the group each week. They travel on average an hour and half with their babies to be part of the Community. The Community refund their travel so they so not have make a choice to come based on their small income.

£10.00 per week pays for a mum and baby to join the four hour session.

2. The group is run entirely by volunteers. The 23 amazing partner charities like The Helen Bamber Foundation, Food Cycle, Felix Project, Little Village provide all the services that the Community need. The cost of the group is just the space.

£200 per week pays for the 60 mums over 75 babies and children and 15 volunteers Community to meet.

JUST £1 per mile of my running would make the world of difference to this little Charity.

More information can be found at: www.happybabycommunity.org.uk

Thank you for your generosity, I will be posting training updates on here in the coming weeks so you can all get used to seeing my sweaty face.

P.S. All funds raised will be transferred to the Happy Baby Community,