Today in Gaza a human tragedy continues to unfold before our eyes. No doubt you have read some of the many horrifying stories emerging daily. Perhaps, like me, these stories have affectedly you deeply but you have felt powerless in the face of this devastating conflict.

Children, who represent almost half the population of Gaza, are paying the heaviest price. Besides the thousands who have already lost their lives, countless others are orphaned, suffering from displacement, disease and severe malnutrition. Not to mention the dire longer-term psychological impacts of war.

On 28 April this year I will be running the Madrid Marathon to raise money to provide aid to children in Gaza via the Ajyal Foundation (https://ajyalfoundation.org), a charity that has an existing network on the ground. Before the war Ajyal focused on psychosocial support for children in Gaza and is now working strenuously to provide critical essentials including warm clothing, blankets and shoes.

I know the founder of Ajyal personally and can vouch that every penny is meticulously accounted for to ensure it has a positive impact.

I hope you will consider sponsoring me in my quest to raise an ambitious target of £10k in humanitarian aid. Although in the grand scheme this may be a drop in the ocean, it can still be a lot better than nothing.

For what it's worth, the Madrid marathon is relatively high altitude and hilly compared to many others, so is no walk in the park for a 46 year old...

Thank you very much

James