In October, I will be running the Royal Parks Half Marathon to raise money for The Listening Place - a charity that provides free, ongoing, face-to-face support to those who are suicidal. I have been working with them as a Listening Volunteer since early last year, so I've seen firsthand how incredible, and desperately needed, this charity is. In the UK we lose someone to suicide every 80 minutes, and effective, timely, affordable support is very hard to find. The Listening Place supports thousands of people every year, providing a safe place where those that need it can talk openly about their feelings. They rely entirely on private donations and fundraising activities, and receive no government support. All money raised will go to supporting people who are suicidal - my target is £600, which is the cost of supporting two Visitors for as long as they need The Listening Place.

Almost everyone I know has been affected in some way by mental ill health or lost someone they knew to suicide, and with the NHS under such strain, charities like TLP are only becoming more essential. As many of you know, I lost my beautiful mum, Nicky, to suicide in 2008, and also her brother, my Uncle Dave, in 2017. In addition to raising money for TLP, I will be running in memory of them.

This isn't my first half marathon so to add an extra challenge, I'll be going for a personal best - so the time to beat is 1:57:23!

Thank you in advance for your generosity. Check out https://listeningplace.org.uk to find out more about the incredible work they do.