So, here goes! On 21st April 2013 I'll be running the Virgin London Marathon and every one of the 26 miles and 385 yards will be run for Everychild.

I am raising money to enable Everychild to continue their work in poverty-stricken areas, where children have little in the way of social welfare or state protection, and as such may be extremely vulnerable to exploitation or violence. Everychild trains and works with social workers to protect children's safety and help get them out of disparate situations and back into families or social care, in countries such as Ethiopia, Guyana and Cambodia.

Having seen the work they do I'm incredibly proud to be running for them, and hope you'll be able to share in that by donating a few pounds towards a very worthwhile cause.

Of course if you'd like to come along and give me a cheer and a thumbs-up on the day, then all the better!

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.

So please dig deep and donate now.