Firstly I'd like to say thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page, it's very much appreciated!

In May 2012 I made the conscious decision that it was time to get fit. For months I’d been thinking about it but I just kept putting it off. I’d flirted with idea of regularly attending gym classes, or joining a local sports club. But, as has always been the case, I felt much more comfortable just doing my own thing. It was just finding the ‘thing’ to do in the first place that was proving to be the problem. So one morning I decided to throw on a pair of trainers, go outside, and just start running. To my own surprise, I rather enjoyed it. So much so that over four months on, I’m somehow still at it. To keep things interesting, I thought I’d sign up for a race of some sort. When having a look online at what was available, I came across the Conwy half marathon. It’s one of the top 5 most scenic races of its kind in the UK, and being from North Wales myself (a Bangor lad, to be precise) I’ve opted for this event. God help me.

Having committed to running the race in November, I have decided to raise money for what is most definitely a good and worthy cause. I’m going to be running the half marathon to raise money for Cuddles, a charity providing equipment, facilities and support to the Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU) at Glan Clwyd Hospital, North Wales.

As with most cases of fundraising, the decision to raise money for this charity is one which stems from personal reasons. On May 16th my brother, Barry and his wife, Lisa, saw the birth of their son, Joshua. Joshua was born 11 weeks prematurely, weighed just 3lbs and spent 2 weeks in intensive care at Glan Clwyd’s SCBU. The care which Joshua received during his time on the ward was simply amazing, as was the support given to Barry and Lisa from the NHS employees, during what must certainly be one of the most anxious periods of a parent’s life.

Joshua is now home safe with Barry and Lisa, and the three of them have been able to properly begin life as a family, thanks in no small part to the great work done by those at Glan Clwyd’s SCBU. So feel free to help raise money for Cuddles and the SCBU at Glan Clwyd by sponsoring me. I would hugely appreciate donations of any size. However large or small, each and every donation will help to give others the chance to become parents and to enjoy being a family. Thank you for your generosity.

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 and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

Thank you!