I am running the London Marathon on 2 October 2022 and the Hackney Half Marathon on 22 May 2022 to raise money for Evelina London Children’s Charity. Evelina is a Children’s Hospital which is part of Guy's and St Thomas’ Hospital London.

I am running in memory of my mother, Jennifer Wilkes, who died of cancer 12 years ago after a 10 year battle. I had wanted to do this to mark the 10 year anniversary of her death but Covid made things tricky. 

My mum spent 10 years in and out of hospital having various treatment. She often shared hospital wards with young children also suffering from cancer and found this incredibly traumatic. During these 10 years she raised well over £100,000 for charity to support children with blood cancer. 

To continue where my Mum left off, I wanted to pick a charity that helped children in hospital. Evelina Children's Hospital seemed like the obvious choice as 18 months ago my son, Ben, had a minor eye operation at Evelina Children’s Hospital. The care he received was remarkable. 103,000 children are looked after by Evelina each year. Here are some of the many fantastic things that Evelina do for children and their families:

• Making Evelina London feel more like home, with wards that provide a sanctuary for families and a play space for children.
• Helping parents deal with the prospect of their child needing long-term care.
• Providing a ground-breaking MRI scanner and research that could transform a tiny baby’s care.
• Introducing a brilliant app that means parents and carers can whisper ‘good night’ from home.

Please sponsor me as much as you can for this very worthy cause. I really do appreciate your support.

Many thanks,

Joe  

P.S.We’re an ever-growing family of people who are inspired by Evelina London Children’s Hospital’s pioneering care and passionate about supporting it. Every pound we raise will help Evelina London do incredible things for sick children, young people and their families.