For years I have had a yearning to run the London Marathon, and this year it looks like my dream will finally come true! I was extremely fortunate to "win" a club place via my running club, Totton Running Club. I see this as an amazing opportunity to fulfill one of my own personal ambitions, which just so happens to fall on my 43rd birthday - I know, you are struggling to come to terms with the fact that this athletic creature will be 43 - but it will be true!!! On a more serious note, it is a great way to raise funds for a fantastic cause, my chosen charity being the National Society Prevention Cruelty to Children.

How will your donations make a difference?

£4 could answer a child's call to Childline. A vital service for children who are desperate to speak out but have nowhere else to turn.

£20 could buy dolls used in play therapy. This helps children express their emotions and act out their experiences of abuse, which they may find diifficult talking about due to the pain it causes.

£85 could pay for the cost of counselling two children who would otherwise feel like no-one is therre to help them.

£250 could pay for two days of individual therapeutic sessions.

£500 could pay for one of the NSPCC Indepedent Enquiry Assessment team members to investigate complex networks of organised, institutional and professional child abuse for two days. Every hour of every day is crucial for this team whowork with the police to rescue children in immediate risk.

£2000 could cover the cost of all the freephone calls to one Childline counsellor for FOUR and a HALF YEARS. This means that the children contacting the service do so in the confidence that their call will not show on the phone bill.

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 - THANK YOU