Hi All!

I've long dreamed of running the London Marathon and raising money for charity but have never got lucky with the ballot. I've always wanted to raise money for more than one charity close to my heart if I ever did such a fundraising challenge and this year the time has come.

So, on Sunday April 16th I'm running the Manchester Marathon and then a month later on Sunday May 14th, it's the Leeds Marathon. I'm raising money for 3 charities which have special meaning for me.

First, I'm raising money for Target Ovarian Cancer in memory of my Mum, Sue. Mum died in January 2007 after fighting Stage 4 ovarian cancer for about two and a half years. The five year survival rate for a stage 4 diagnosis is 15% and I'm hoping to raise funds to support Target Ovarian Cancer in its aim of improving awareness, life-saving early diagnosis and better treatment and support.

Next, I'm raising money for the Motor Neurone Disease (MND) Association. My cousin, Tim, passed away from MND in 2021 and as a fan of both rugby codes, I've followed the public stories of the late Doddie Weir, and Rob Burrow. Along with the inspirational feats of Kevin Sinfield, when the new Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon was announced for May, it gave me the idea to run the Manchester and Leeds events together as my fundraising challenge and to support the MND Association as one of the good causes.

Finally, I'm raising money for the Seashell Trust. Seashell has a personal connection as my Mum chaired the Board of Governors for many years while I was growing up and she was always looking for ways to raise funds to support its development. Seashell supports children and young adults with complex learning difficulties, disabilities, and additional communication needs from across the UK and provides education, care, and support for people aged from 2 to 25 years. It's a local charity with a family link that's always been close to my heart.

To donate to one of the charities please go to the "Team Members" section below and click the "Donate" button next to one of my names with the charity's name next to it. It would be wonderful if I could raise an equal amount for each of the three charities, however I very much appreciate every donation and encourage you to go with your heart, if one has a particularly special meaning for you. Thank you!