First of all, the London Marathon. I'm 60 this summer and always wanted to do this event. Finally, I've taken the plunge and have been busily training the past few months. 26.2 miles is still very daunting, so please - if you choose to donate (thank you in advance if you're able) - please give because I'm competing in the London Marathon, not because I'm definitely going to be able to finish it! (I hope I will, but.. ).

Second, I'm taking part with RNID - Royal National Institute for the Deaf. Why? Because in 2009 - when I was lucky enough to be living and working in New York - I woke up one morning with an ear ache. I did all the right things re treatment, but within 48 hours that infection had blotted out the hearing on my right side and the audiologist there said "you've suffered sudden hearing loss. You may not get this hearing back". He was right. I've had significant hearing loss ever since, and have worn hearing aids now for about a decade. They help, but as the experts will tell you "hearing aids are just that, aids to hearing. They don't replace your hearing". Dead right.

I think hearing-loss in all its many forms, is an issue that needs more attention and resources. It's very common: RNID says 12 million people in the UK are deaf, have hearing loss, or tinnitus. The UK population is approximately 67 million, so that means on average around 1 in 5 people in the UK fall into these categories.

For me, as others in the same boat, it’s not been a particularly easy journey. Hearing loss can mess with your personality as you start to avoid situations (consciously or unconsciously) where you may not be able to hear as well as others. You can feel more isolated as a result. Some people will start to treat you differently, some will even think you are rude for appearing to ignore them, or a bit dim because you've asked them to repeat something that everyone else appears to have heard! (I had one boss at work who suggested I try to concentrate harder!). These are common symptoms/stories and I’ve heard them repeated by many others with hearing issues.

I have hearing loss, and of course many people in the categories above have a much tougher time of it than I do. But I think my experience of this has helped me understand the wider issues more, and I can see that as a society we need to understand them better. It seems obvious that with the widespread and in some cases constant use of headphones/ear buds etc, hearing loss will become a bigger problem in the future, affecting far more people.

So I think it's an important issue, and I think RNID is one charity doing excellent work raising awareness, helping and supporting people, and supporting critical research in this area. Please donate if you can!

Ps: thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.