Many of you will know me as originally a presenter, and then much later CEO of brmb/Free Radio in Birmingham. Much of my career has therefore been entwined with Birmingham, and a particular institution, the brmb walkathon - a 25 mile walk around Brum's iconic outer circle bus route.

Midlands folk may recall that one of the first brmb walkathons, back in 1986, in part raised £85,000 to help build the Walkathon Wing at the new Birmingham Children’s Hospice being planned for Selly Oak. That hospice became Acorns of course, and opened its doors in 1988. 

Much later, when we brought the walks back, in 2013 we raised more money (a six figure sum as I recall) for Acorns as part of the “Walk for Harry" in aid of Harry Moseley, who spent some of his last weeks there.

It's Acorns 30th anniversary this year. I am now a trustee of this great Midlands institution, which is now the largest children's hospice in the UK.

As you can imagine, with such a big anniversary there are lots of fund raising events taking place across the year. I wanted to do something personal for Acorns, so in conjunction with David Bagley (who as brmb Marketing Director in the 80s dreamed up the walkathon) I thought I might challenge myself to do the Walkathon one (last?) time. I walked the first one with David and his assistant Jean (now Mrs Riley) and I walked every one we did in the period when we brought it back from 2010-2013.

The plan this year is for me to walk the outer circle route (25 miles) as per the most recent incarnation of the walk, on Sunday 19th August, setting off from Kings Heath Park at 8am. This won't be an official, planned and signed walk, just me, aided and abetted along the route by some other Acorns trustees (and David in a car as chef de mission:)). Im hoping to raise £2,500.

Please support me in this. Acorns is heavily reliant on the generosity of its supporters, and I know my friends, family and radio colleagues are themselves amongst the most generous folk I know.

Thanks for reading.