***** THANK YOU *****

I would just like to say a big thank you to all who sponsored me for this great cause. The money that we have raised will be invaluable to Chestnut Tree House, in total the 'chestnuts' managed to raise over £30,000 at this event which is absolutely fabulous. The inaugural Brighton marathon was a spectacular day - the atmosphere and crowds were unbelievable and the various Chestnut Tree cheering squads around the course were a huge help. It will definitely be on my list to do again. After a cold morning (and night in the camper!) the day started to warm up pretty fast making it tough going towards the end, but all in all I felt pretty good throughout the run. Finished in 3h32 (577th out of 7500 finishers) a little slower than anticipated but very pleased in those conditions. 

Thank you all again for supporting me and Nathan - your generosity will go a long, long way...

Damian

You may remember in 2008 I ran the London Marathon for the first time in aid of the Neo-Natal Unit for premature babies at the Princess Alexandra hospital in Portsmouth. This was to thank the nurses and carers in the unit who looked after our friend Nathan Pearce who was born four months prematurely weighing just 1lb 1oz. With all of your very generous support we raised over £2000 which funded a room for parents on the ward.

Nathan is two on 29th January, a milestone that sometimes feels like a miracle to his parents and friends. He still needs lots of care and the whole family benefits from the services of Chestnut Tree House, a respite facility near Arundel in Sussex where the whole family can have a break and where Nato is well looked after. Chestnut Tree House looks after life-limited and disabled children but they really need our help with funding. 

This year I'll be completing the Brighton Marathon on 18 April in aid of Chestnut Tree House. It would be wonderful if we could raise them a big lump of money to continue their fantastic work with Nathan and others. Any amount would be gratefully received, it's easy to do (see below) and it'll make you feel good! If you're in Brighton on 18th April come and cheer us on!

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.