My love of English ales and largely motionless vocation have got me ending my 30s with some doughiness around the ol' midsection.

On 1 May this year, I will turn 40 and I'm aiming to enter the next decade of my life looking less Jabba the Hutt and more Jabba the Hott. So I'm hoping to shed a few dozen pounds by then.

To keep me on the straight and narrow, I'm committing myself to raising money for FSID in memory of Jessica Diggines, a beautiful little girl who was taken away unexpectedly from some friends at just 19 months old. No parent should have to endure what they did, and by supporting FSID we might be able to prevent other families losing a child in the future.

You can donate whether you're in America, the UK or anywhere else. You donate in British pounds (£1 equals $1.60 usually). 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.

I will keep everyone posted on my progress between now and 1 May, when I will finish. I'll do my first weigh-in tonight, 7 January.