UPDATE: The Brighton Marathon has unfortunately been cancelled but I am going to run 26.2 miles on September 20, 2020 anyway, to raise money for freelance colleagues. Please support me!

I've been a journalist for 15 years, thankfully all of which have been as a staffer at large and well-equipped news organizations — The Atlantic now, and previously at The New York Times, Agence France-Presse, and Bloomberg News.

Throughout my career — in both stable and unstable countries — I've been able to work knowing that I can avail of safety and security resources provided by my employer, and no matter what happens, I'll get my salary at the end of the month.

This is not true for freelance journalists around the world, and many are in real financial distress. Perversely, now is when they are needed more than ever, to hold governments to account, and to tell the stories of how the coronavirus is changing our world. Freelance journalists don't simply enrich the coverage of staff journalists, they are essential to that coverage, either as newsgatherers, or as competitors.

The Rory Peck Trust (which I have raised funds for before) provides assistance and support to freelancers and their families to improve their welfare and safety, and fights for their right to report freely. This year, it marks 25 years since its founding.

To support the Rory Peck Trust, I’ll be running the Brighton Marathon on September 20. Please support me, and the Rory Peck Trust, by donating generously.

In the UK, charity fundraising has been hit very hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. Thousands of charitable events have been cancelled and many charities, particularly smaller ones, are struggling to maintain services because of this huge reduction in income. This impacts all sectors of society  from children to the elderly  as well as the vital work in areas such as palliative care, serious diseases, mental health, housing support, food supplies and countless others that charities support.

(Photo supplied by the Rory Peck Trust of Benjamin Foley filming in Afghanistan.)