It’s the most wonderful time of the year…! No, not Christmas, but training for the London Marathon on Sunday, 2 October.

Over the past three months I have been quietly building up training to check that my slightly worn body will say yes to running 26.2 miles, and eight weeks out from the event I am half way there (and maybe living on a prayer!).

I have selected two charities to support. Child of Hope is a UK-managed education charity in Eastern Uganda which provide free education, healthcare, welfare, food and clothing to the poorest and most vulnerable children and their families – Jo and I have supported this incredible charity for over a decade by directly sponsoring education for three children. Mind is a leading health charity that provides advice and support to anyone experiencing a mental health problem – the past 2½ years have been particularly challenging for everyone, and for some people, including an old friend of mine, this period unfortunately proved too challenging. The information and support Mind provides is invaluable, especially ‘Local Minds’ which supports people in local communities across the country.

I will provide weekly updates over the next eight weeks as the training intensifies (I am so pleased we are expecting another heatwave!). Thank you for your support, and if you can, please do donate to one of these worthy charities.

Child of Hope makes huge social impact for slum children and their families from its schools in Eastern Uganda – by providing free education, healthcare, welfare, food and clothing to kids from the poorest and most vulnerable families. Even setting up mums in their own start-up business. It takes place in the Namatala slum near Mbale, where survivors from years of strife in the north struggle to make ends meet. Up to 30,000 live there, around half of which are school age. But poverty prevents most of them going to school.