Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

On 26 April 2015 I will be competing in the London Marathon.  I do not have a charity place but I am raising money for a local charity; Friends of Gibside School (FOGS), which is very special to one of our colleagues.  Tiejha Smyth’s son, Jim, goes to Gibside School, which is a special needs school attended by children aged 3 – 11 years with disabilities and special needs, including severe physical disabilities, complex medical issues, autism and profound learning disabilities.  The school employs an amazing group of staff who go above and beyond on a daily basis to ensure that each child in the school is provided with the very best level of care, support and encouragement to reach their full potential.  FOGS is a registered charity run by a number of parents and teachers, which was set up to raise funds for much needed specialist equipment for the school and to help pay for extra trips and activities for the kids.  School trips are an important part of the school calendar but they would not be possible for many of the Gibside children without the use of specialist minibuses.  FOGS are currently raising money to buy a minibus for the new Early Years site at Winlaton (attended by Jim) so that the children there can enjoy frequent access to much needed facilities (e.g. hydrotherapy pool, sensory rooms etc) at the main school building in Whickham, and so that they can enjoy more school trips.