10 years ago, on a whim for my 40th birthday, I ran my first marathon. I was only going to run one, but somehow got the bug. I have been trying to get a place in the London marathon ever since but have never been successful in the ballot (or in fact in any race ballot!)

This year, just after the London Marathon, I turn 50 and I decided to run London again for charity. I particularly wanted to support a smaller charity that would make good use of the funds, and which had a particular meaning to me. And so I am running to raise funds for United Response who are a charity who support young people and adults with a range of mental health needs and disabilities. (Coincidentally, they were also created in 1973, as all great things are..!)

Many of you will know that one of my children, Isaac, has special needs, including autism and ADHD. Scarily, he is getting close to adulthood and we are now at the stage where we are navigating how he will manage once he finishes education. Like all parents, we want him to be as independent as possible but there are few organisations out there that facilitate this. At the moment, Isaac still can't go outside the home on his own and struggles to do basic tasks like buttering a piece of toast so we know that he will always need a lot of support in order to try and live his best life. 

Since 1973, United Response has been fighting for a society where everyone has the right to live the life they choose, no matter their disability. United Response's first service was a single house for twelve adults in West Sussex. Now, they operate in over 350 locations, employing over 3,500 staff and supporting over 2,000 people. The core of their work is supporting people with learning disabilities and mental health needs to live independently. Increasingly, their services are developing into place-based community hubs where they facilitate active community involvement among the people they support.

Your donations will support people, like Isaac, with learning disabilities to develop skills and gain confidence to live fulfilling and active lives.