Marathon des Sables is considered to be the hardest footrace on the planet. 155 miles on sand across the scorching Sahara Desert in temperatures exceeding 50 degrees carrying everything you need to survive.

In April 2012 I shall stand on the starting line with one key difference, as an extreme ironer I shall be attempting to become the first person to complete the event (or even try!) with a full sized ironing board and obviously a travel iron.....

The reasons for this mad adventure are varied but the most important one is that it's the basis for my fundraising, my chance to support St Richards Hopsice and the brilliant work they do.

Please give what you can, in difficult times these great charities need our help more than ever as their work never ends.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

So please dig deep and donate now.