As well as my day job as Executive Director of Project HOPE UK, I'm preparing for my 60th BIRTHDAY CHALLENGE, to run the Virgin London Marathon, raising at least £6,000 to help provide orphans in Munsieville, South Africa with their DAILY BREAD!

 

Visiting Munsieville several times each year has made me acutely aware of the challenges faced by those trying to raise the township’s 10,400 orphans and other vulnerable children. Many children go to bed at night with empty bellies, and their caregivers are beset by poverty, unemployment and despair.

 

Tackling these problems begins with engaging the community and then providing them with training, mentoring and coaching, followed by a small investment to set up a simple bakery as a social enterprise. The bakery will help provide better nutrition for the children, employment, improved economic resilience in the community, and dignity!

 

I regularly run distances of up to 10k, but have not run a marathon for nine years. I would love to improve on my time of a minute and a half over four hours in the 2004 London Marathon, but I have to be realistic so am now focused on the more achievable target of raising £100 for every year of my life.

 

Thank you for your support!