On Sunday 13th October I shall be running the Royal Parks Half Marathon in aid of Dan’s Fund For Burns.

Whilst 13.1 miles is a personal challenge for me, its the fundraising which really matters. My friend Polly set up this charity in memory of her husband Dan, best friend Anneke and 7 other close friends who tragically lost their lives in the Bali bombings on 12th October 2002. 202 people died that night and Polly was the sole survivor of her table of 10. She and Dan had only been married 5 weeks. She was lucky enough not to be knocked out in the blast and was able to pull herself up and out of the Sari Club onto its tin shack and straw roof and run across it to safety. She was extremely badly burned and was kept alive by some touring Aussie Rules footie players, then patched up in Sanglah before being flown to Brisbane where they saved her life. She was left like a patch work quilt with 43% burns.

Polly felt she needed to make something good come from her experience and bring some light to the darkness, misery and loss. In 2003 she decided to raise money for burns survivors and established Dan's Fund For Burns. Her aim was to do more good than evil. Last year marked the 20th anniversary of the bombings and the charity still continues to do so much to help countless burn survivors rebuild their lives. It provide financial, critical and emotional support to victims and their families and improves NHS services by providing a wide range of aftercare support.

Dan's Fund For Burns has become one of the three major burns charities in the UK and sponsoring me in my own (albeit small) personal challenge will continue to help those in need. It will also continue to remember those who tragically lost their lives in the bombings.

Any donation would be gratefully received...just £10 from 100 of the lovely people I know will ensure I reach my target. Thank you so much for you support.