Running a marathon has always been a crazy goal of mine, and I am honoured to have received a place in the 2012 London Marathon. I will be running on behalf of Hearing Dogs for Deaf people - a charity close to my heart, and I'd like to thank you for taking the time to consider making a donation for this worthy, yet often overlooked charity.

As you probably know, I am hard of hearing, as are both of my brothers. It is difficult to describe exactly what a hearing loss means and how it affects day-to-day living, but I can tell you firsthand that there are many things that people with normal hearing take for granted. For instance, hearing the telephone ring or the doorbell buzz. Feeling safe in the knowledge that if a fire alarm goes off, you will hear it and be able to get yourself and your family to safety. Or even simply hearing approaching footsteps and knowing someone is coming from behind. These are all things that deaf people cannot do, and it massively affects a person's confidence and independence.

Hearing Dogs for Deaf People trains hearing dogs to alert deaf people to select household sounds and danger signals in the home, work place and in public buildings, providing a life-changing level of independence, confidence and security for people who are deaf or hard of hearing.

Deafness is an invisible disability and can lead to isolation and loneliness as people withdraw, finding it increasingly hard to communicate. The Hearing Dogs are not only there to alert owners of sounds they cannot hear, but they are also companions.

Hearing Dogs for Deaf People receives no government funding and relies solely on the generosity of individuals and organisations to help with their work.

With your help, I aim to raise £2,500 for Hearing Dogs for Deaf People by running the 2012 Virgin London Marathon. It costs nearly £10,000 to raise & train a Hearing Dog until the end of the dog's working life, and the charity relies on generous donations to survive.

Below is a brief overview how your donation can help transform the life of a severely or profoundly deaf person:

£500 provides a puppy socialising kit for a new recruit including toys, food, bedding and grooming equipment

£1,000 supports a new beginning helping to acquire a puppy or young dog and placing them with a volunteer socialiser.

£2,000 helps support the first year of a partnership as dog and owner work together at home and in the community.

£3,000 supports the advanced soundwork training of a dog at one of our centres with each dog individually trained for its chosen partners needs.

 

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.

So please dig deep and donate now. Anything and everything will help me along the way to my goal of £2,500. Thank You!