Firstly a disclaimer - I love running and having a place in the London Marathon is a dream come true!

However, I've also loved being involved with the Newman Holiday Trust for the past... er, quite a few years now... and so when I got a place in the marathon, I thought it would be great to aim to raise enough to cover a child's place on a holiday.

The Newman Trust provides summer activity holidays for children with special needs around the UK and is an entirely voluntary organisation. I know first hand what positive impact these experiences can have on the children, although it's sometimes difficult to explain just how we achieve our tagline of "Changes Lives". So I thought I'd share this story from 'Mark' and his family - I had the great joy of spending the week with him along with about 20 other children, their one-to-one helpers and other volunteers on the Midlands holiday at Yarlet this year. Here's what his Mum had to say about his time there:

"I am a single mother with two teenage boys, the youngest one of whom has Downs Syndrome and Autism. Unfortunately I have no family who are able to support us in giving me a break or time to spend with my eldest doing ordinary ‘stuff’.
The Newman Trust holiday is an amazing charity which has not only given my youngest an incredible experience but also allowed me to reconnect with my older son. That is priceless.
Mark arrived at the holiday venue and was immediately greeted by lots of friendly faces. Many recognised him from before as this was his second time. I was totally reassured that he was in very safe hands. Immediately Mark came alive- he was chatty, funny and full of sparkle.
There were regular updates of Mark’s week with photos of him doing all the things he loves- visiting Alton Towers, a cinema trip, swimming, It’s A Knockout and many more. (And a diary at the end to show the order of the experiences.) Mark had the chance to have a break from me which meant he had a chance to develop more independence and build his personal living skills. He started to build new friendships too which is really good.
Since his return home Mark has been much more communicative with people who have asked about his holiday. Usually he won’t let people know what he’s done because it’s done. This time Mark has been keen to share his amazing experiences with many others. This is good for him because he is not easy to understand. He also, independently, wrote a thank you letter the day after his return- because he wants to go again!
The superb organisation, preparation and thought that goes into ensuring that all the children are individually supported shows- when I collected Mark I saw a sea of happy faces. I give the organisers, volunteers and those who give to the charity to enable the holidays to go ahead my heart felt thanks. You have changed our lives for the better."