So as many of you know already, me and my family lost our beautiful Bertie-Rose Raymond who was born prematurely, November 2018. Bertie fought for her life daily and survived weeks until sadly passing away which left us all completely heartbroken. Life will never be the same, but I will continue to try keep her memory alive.

So, I thought I would put myself through the paces this year and give back a little, well as much as I can to the amazing charity Bliss, who helped us through that terrible time by raising as much funds as possible, my target is £3000!

I will be running TCS London Marathon on Sunday 21st April, for both of my girls Bella & Bertie - but particularly in memory of Bertie. Any sponsorship will be really appreciated, as anyone who knows me will know running has never been my thing until recently! It’s going to be a struggle to say the least 🙈. All donations will really make a difference for this amazing charity that help so many families like mine.

Bliss exists to give every baby born premature or sick in the UK the best chance of survival and quality of life.

We champion their right to receive the best care by supporting families, campaigning for change and supporting professionals, and enabling life-changing research.

Bliss was founded in 1979 by a group of concerned parents who discovered that no hospital had all the equipment nor the trained staff it needed to safely care for premature and sick babies.

Determined to do something, these volunteers formed a charity to give vulnerable babies the care they deserve. 40 years later Bliss has grown into the leading UK charity for the 90,000 babies born needing neonatal care every year.

In order to get the ball rolling with fundraising and assist me in raising funds for my target, myself and Bella climbed mount Scafell on the 29th September 2023. This was a challenge for both of us especially as the weather was not on our side! But we had a great time doing it.

If you wondered what Scafell is, it is Scafell Pike is the highest and the most prominent mountain in England, at an elevation of 978 metres (3,209 ft) above sea level. It is in the Lake District National Park, in Cumbria.

As a few of you are aware, running has helped keep me a little above water and I’ve challenged myself by doing numerous park runs from 5k, 10k, 15k to half marathons and a little bit further, but my final destination will be the London TNS Marathon 2024 on Sunday 21st April, where I will be running for both my girls Bella & Bertie but particularly in loving memory of Bertie. If you’re able to dig deep it goes without saying how appreciated it will be, as this is beyond a challenge considering running only become a thing for me last year! There’s already been tears, sweats and lots of training which will continue right up until April!