Many thanks to everyone who sponsored me. Including the match-funding from RM, I have managed to raise £4712.44. That is over 3 times my initial target. Your generosity has surprised me time and again - you should all feel really proud of yourselves. Thank you, once again.

I did it!!! 4hrs 27min 02sec. That's 33min faster than my target and 3 min faster than my wildest dreams. I now need to go and lie down!!

I'm now into match funding from RM - the total has now hit £4,000. Every £1 you donate becomes £2 for VRH. Please keep giving!

Thank you for visiting my fundraising page. Over the last 9 months, I have run over 1,300km around local streets in training for the marathon. There is now just two weeks to go and the nerves are starting to kick in and my legs are tired most of the time. You can help make it all worthwhile.

Did you know that one in five adults in the UK can’t read sufficiently to use the Yellow Pages to find a plumber? Or that children with low literacy skills are more likely to be excluded from school, have drug problems, become a teenage parent or end up in prison?

VRH helps disadvantaged children develop literacy skills and self-confidence so they don't end up as one of these statistics. They do this by recruiting and training caring reading mentors who coax, nurture and guide the children. Your donation can really make a difference:

-          £20 lets a volunteer support 3 children for a week;

-          £35 pays for the equipment a new volunteer needs;

-          £100 provides enough time to improve a child’s reading;

-          £250 covers the cost for a whole year’s support for a child.

Donating through this site is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to sponsor me: Volunteer Reading Help will receive your money faster and, if you are a UK taxpayer, an extra 28% in tax will be added to your gift at no cost to you.

So please, please dig deep and sponsor me now!

Many thanks for your support.