I am extremely excited (and equally nervous!) to be running the London Marathon this April. I've always thought I would only ever run a marathon if I had a really good reason to - and raising money for We Are Farming Minds is exactly that!

Growing up on a family farm in Herefordshire and now working as the Herefordshire County Adviser for the National Farmers' Union (NFU), I see day to day the relentless difficulties facing farming families. With so many challenges outside of farmers’ control, from extreme weather events to Government decisions, life can feel like a constant battle, often being fought in isolation. As a result, poor mental health in farming is 46% higher than in other occupations and sadly all of us in the farming community know of loved ones who have struggled with mental health challenges.

We Are Farming Minds is a registered charity, set up to help raise mental health awareness in the rural communities of Herefordshire and support the wellbeing of farmers across the land. The charity provides 24 hour free support, as well as mental health training to professionals in the farming community and social events to combat isolation and bring farmers together.

Herefordshire farmers do the best job in the world - keeping us fed whilst taking care of our beautiful countryside - and I'm so pleased to be fundraising for a charity which directly supports them.

Any donation to this charity, to help support farming families, will be greatly appreciated.

Wish me luck!