It's been a while since I have done a huge amount of exercise or any fundraising, but recently I have been inspired by to get fit again and to highlight some a couple of amazing charities that I regularly donate to.

The first is Chestnut Tree House, a local children's hospice. I have been fortunate enough to attend their Christmas Snowman's Ball for the last 2 years and hear from families who have benefitted from the amazing work carried out at a time when they have had to say goodbye to their children. The stories they tell are inspirational as well as incredibly moving, but the care is incredibly costly. As they depend so heavily on donations I wanted to highlight the work they do and their need for funding - hopefully we can donate enough for at least 1 hour of care.

The second is a school that a good friend of mine started in Liberia 7 years ago. In comparison the costs are minimal and a little goes a very long way. Open To Learn is a charity devoted to promoting education and development in Liberia. It provides children with free schooling – a space to learn, clean and cold water and a sense of community, after the country has been devastated from two civil wars and a huge loss of infrastructure. The school now has 11 classrooms and educates 280 kids, but there are plans to expand and help to provide safe, clean water to the wider community. The UN Wood Food Organisation has recently recognised the charity and now helps to provide food for the children whilst at school. It costs just £3 to sponsor a child for a month and I would like to be able to donate enough to fund a class of 30 children for at least 3 months.

So I am running the Brighton Half Marathon on Sunday 26th February. It's a big deal for me as it's a return to running after 2 children and at the age of 40 it's a lot harder than it was 15 years ago - the first and last time I attempted such a thing. Please donate whatever you can.