It's hard to believe that it is a year since Dad, Graham Cansdale, died on 14th October 2020. He was known and loved by many people and we miss him every day. He was an inspiring and passionate man.

Around this first anniversary, I thought I'd like to do something to remember Dad and to support two charities that mattered to him.

I will be running a half marathon on Saturday 4th December in Kirkstall, Leeds and I'm hoping you will sponsor me and help raise funds. I've never run this far before! Although I do run a bit, my usual distance is around 5K so this will require some extra training over the coming month

Dad had been living with Parkinson's disease for about seven years and as family and friends we had watched a steady decline. He faced this illness with real dignity. He managed to find a peaceful contentment in life with Parkinson's but by the end he had lost his mobility and even swallowing was difficult. I'm grateful that mentally and emotionally he was with it to the end but his body was broken by this cruel and debilitating disease.

Dad had a life-long love of Africa, with visits to Nigeria as a teenager and then living as a missionary in Kenya for eight years (1967-75) More recently he visited the Democratic Republic of Congo and was a keen supporter of the Kimbilio Project, working with street children in Congo. At his funeral, we collected for this project that is run by Congo Children Trust.

It would be great to raise some money in memory of Dad but I'd also like to invite those who knew him to write a brief tribute to him.

You can choose which you'd like to donate to. Please follow the links below to donate to your chosen charity.