To my great surprise (let’s leave it at that), my lovely wife Anna, has enlisted me in this year’s London Marathon!

Despite my apprehension, it is a fantastic opportunity to raise funds for a worthy cause - I’ve chosen Child Bereavement UK; a charity that helps “families rebuild their lives when a child grieves or when a child dies”.

Next year I turn 45 - the same age my Mum was when she died of Cancer. Although my Dad, brother and I were fortunate to have some family, friends and dedicated teachers who were a great support to us, inevitably it was a sad and tumultuous time, presenting numerous challenges and there was no textbook or roadmap to guide us. We winged it without an alternative but CB UK now exists to help which has to be a good thing.

A parent of a child dies every 22 minutes and 10,000 babies, children and young people under the age of 25 die each year; so sadly many, many families will face bereavement, associated disruption, grief and being forced to adjust find a new ‘normal’.

Child Bereavement UK exists to help both parents and children on this journey and I wish to support them in the great work they do to help anybody in need.

An overview is here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uz1PpPPRiho and the website is https://www.childbereavementuk.org/

Sadly many of you will either have shared personal experience or connections to others who have been in such circumstances – the ‘just one more minute’ section says it all: https://www.childbereavementuk.org/one-more-minute

I will be very grateful for any donations that will help spur me on – and frankly I need all the help I can get! 😊 (Please add Gift Aid wherever possible). 

Child Bereavement UK helps families to rebuild their lives when a child grieves or when a child dies. We support children and young people (up to the age of 25) when someone important to them has died or is not expected to live, and parents and the wider family when a baby or child of any age dies or is dying. We provide training to professionals in health and social care, education, and the voluntary and corporate sectors, equipping them to provide the best possible care to bereaved families.We offer free, confidential bereavement support by telephone, video or instant messenger, as well as face to face from a number of locations across the UK.