Thank you for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

I originally signed up for the Birmingham half marathon as a way to keep me on target with my attempt at increasing my somewhat poor level of fitness! Once I'd hassled, harassed, and eventually convinced a few friends to do it with me, I realised that I'd gotten myself into a position where there was no backing out (however much I wanted to – which I assure you I have!) My training has been a bit of a mixed bag so far and so with the 21 October fast approaching, I think I need a little extra incentive to keep me on track!

I've chosen to run for breast cancer care not only due to the amazing work they do generally for people across the UK suffering from breast cancer, but also because it is a cause very close to my own heart and those of my family. My own Mum very bravely fought breast cancer back in 2004/05 and being the wonderfully strong and inspiring women that she is (who thanks to those words now also probably has a slightly inflated ego!), she thankfully won that battle and 7 years on remains cancer free.

However not everyone gets to experience this outcome - nearly 50,000 people are diagnosed with breast cancer each year in the UK. That’s one person every 10 minutes. Of these, just over 12,000 people die from breast cancer in the UK every year.

Breast Cancer Care provides vital support to these women, both practically and emotionally, and they are working towards a vision of ensuring that every person affected by breast cancer is able to get the best treatment, information and support.

Anything you can donate, even if it’s just a pound, would be greatly appreciated by both myself and Breast Cancer Care. It may also be the boost that I need to go out for that extra training run, even if it is in torrential rain!

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.

Thanks to everyone in advance and anticipation of your support!

Amy Xx