Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.  As many of you may know, I have given up horse riding after over 45 years, following an accident earlier this year.  I needed a challenge and my Dad came up with one for me - to run in the Marabana Havana Half Marathon in Cuba!  As a non-runner, this seems like quite a feat - I would usually reach for my car keys if anybody mentioned a distance of 21kms!  But... I'm up for the challenge and training has begun! 

Canine Partners is my chosen charity.  They are based locally to where I lived in the UK and I often used to see the young puppies out and about with their handlers as part of their training.  Having spoken to the handlers and learned more about this charity, I realise just how amazing these dogs are, and how they can totally transform the lives of disabled people.  During the course of 2 years or so, they are trained to help with everyday tasks such as opening and shutting doors, taking washing out of the machine, pressing switches and getting help in an emergency.  They can even help people to get undressed, and remove a card from a cash machine!  Once they have completed their training they are matched with a suitable applicant, the bonding process begins, and another life is changed forever.

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. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.