There are still millions of leprosy sufferers world wide. Not only does leprosy cause the type of awful damage in the pictures, but it still carries a stigma, making normal life often impossible, with no ability to work or look after themselves.

In 2009, we visited the Kolkata Leprosy Hospital, set up many years ago by my father-in-law, Eddie Askew MBE. We found people getting great surgery to get the use back into badly damaged hands and eyes. As we wandered the wards, we noticed no one reading, and asked how many of the patients were able to read and write. The answer was less than 50%. With the stigma of leprosy, it is tough to get back into anything like normal life once the disease is treated is tough. Then add in having no ability to read and write and it is so much harder.

So we started dreaming. What if we raised the money to provide teachers to come in and teach reading and writing in the hospital. The literacy project was born.

Just £50 paid for 2 teachers for 1 month to go in each day and teach. So little could do so much to change the lives of patients, and massively widen their ability to work. We've been back to see the results (see some of the photos), and the hospital say it has added a fresh sense of hope.

And on 1st April 2014, the money we've collected starts a literacy school in the much larger hospital in Purulia. 

Your gifts from the marathon will go via the Leprosy Mission to fund this and if we are hoping to get enough to eventually put classes in every Leprosy Hospital in India.

Thank you for your help.