In March 2023, Warren Dowling, an incredible, kind, and friendly 10-year-old boy from my Year 5 class, tragically died from an asthma attack. 

This was the hardest part of my teaching career as I spent more time with Warren than my own children and it truly highlighted the bond that teachers make with every child that they teach. I had built a relationship with Warren, he joked around with me, we talked about football, his infectious smile, he always asked for the same songs to be played in class - just a few of the wonderful memories. But to be told on the phone from my colleague that he was gone and was not coming back, with no goodbye, and then seeing his name in my mark book, his empty seat, his school tray waiting for him to get out his reading book - all so hard to believe and accept, and such a challenge to turn up to work and continue to teach his friends in the same way. 

Warren's family, class mates, teachers, and the local community were in total shock and are devastated, and the months that followed were, and still are extremely difficult, with the smallest memory of time with Warren often making me smile but other times those memories bringing me to tears that I can't always hold back (sorry Lissy, 5AW and colleagues, but thank you for the hugs and being such a strong team). 

Warren's family are incredible. They are so strong and such amazing people, and they are not just parents of a child that I have taught, but now friends too. Belinda, Ian and their children have all dedicated hours and hours of their time, effort, love, tears, sweat and energy in to renovating the school pond area - something that Warren loved so much to work on with his father, Ian. For me, I too want to, and need to do something, and to not only raise awareness and money for research of asthma, but continue, as his family and many others are doing, to help Warren's memory and name live on. 

Stupidly, I chose something I really dislike doing - running - to raise money for Asthma + Lung UK. I don't mind running short sprints on a football pitch. But I dislike running and find it pretty boring so the challenge of training for a marathon is going to be that little bit trickier for me.

I didn't realise that 1 in 5 of us will have a lung condition during our lifetimes - my brother and son both being part of that statistic and something that I panic about and struggle with at the moment when Rowan gets a slight cough or wheeze. There's a new diagnosis every minute so that's why I'm running The London Marathon 2024 for Asthma + Lung UK. They're the only UK charity that fights for everyones right to breathe. Every pound I'm able to raise will take us a step closer to a world where everyone has healthy lungs. I look forward to running with Wozza smiling over me and making him proud.

I'd be very grateful for any donations you could make no matter how small, it will all help. 

Andy