HOORAY!! I did it! I 'ran London' in 5 hours 19 minutes and 5 seconds! It was an absolutely amazing experience and I feel privileged to have had the place and the chance to raise so much for Chestnut Tree (even if they did make me wear yellow...) Look how close I am to £1500 - can you help? I do so like a nice round number!

**STOP PRESS (AGAIN)** Emika did really well in the mini mile yesterday and managed to run the whole way without stopping to walk - a personal best! She's now extremely (and deservedly) chuffed with herself, so please sponsor her by way of congratulation! **STOP PRESS (AGAIN)**

**STOP PRESS** Emika is now also running the 'mini mile' of the Brighton marathon (the week before London, so we're training together!) and you can sponsor her through this page too. **STOP PRESS**

I'm running the London marathon this year! Me! Yes, me! Some of you will only know the running me, but those of you who've known me long enough to remember my name at school being 'Jabba' (as in 'the Hut') might be pretty amazed...

Any road up, it's a tough gig. Look at the picture on this page. That's me having run a half marathon in Arctic conditions in February. See the agony?! I thought I'd never get warm ever ever again.

Granted, not all my training runs are quite that apocalyptic. Some are even quite jolly, given the right weather conditions and the right music piped through my headphones.

Still, it's far easier to donate a few quid on this page than it is to don all your running gear and head out in the elements, muscles a-screaming. And you get (almost) as much good karma. Fantastic eh?

I'm raising money for a local children's hospice, Chestnut Tree House, who do amazing work with life-limited children and their families. You can find out more at http://www.chestnut-tree-house.org.uk/.

Here's a breakdown of what your donation could do:

Ø  It costs £2.1 million per year to provide our care services

Ø  £5,800 will provide for one day of all care services at Chestnut Tree House

Ø  The government only funds 10p in the pound of the care services at Chestnut Tree House

Ø  £1,974 will give a child a 3 night break at CTH allowing them to enjoy the hydrotherapy pool, relax in the multi-sensory room and join in with a host of activities, whilst mum and dad get the chance to “recharge their batteries.”

Ø  £1,500 allows our Community Team to host a Family Day for 20 families, providing a range of activities and information for the whole family to enjoy

Ø  £1,500 will give us the opportunity to hold activity days aimed at specific age groups, particularly teenagers

Ø  £1,102 will give 4 children the opportunity to enjoy a whole day outing in our minibus accompanied by trained nurses and support workers

Ø  £433 will cover the cost of giving a child a special birthday party, including an entertainer, party food, birthday cake and party bags.

Ø  £250 allows siblings of life-limited children to attend an activity morning hosted by members of our Community Team

Ø  £201 gives a child the chance to visit CTH for the day and enjoy our facilities and a range of activities whilst giving mum and dad a break from the daily care

Ø  £157 allows a member of our Community Care Support Team to care for a life-limited child in the child’s home,  allowing the parents or carers to spend an evening out together

Ø  £150 will allow a family of four to benefit from an overnight stay in one of our Family Rooms whilst their child is cared for by our specially trained nurses

Ø  £50 will give a child the opportunity to spend an hour benefiting from a swim in our hydrotherapy pool

Ø  £40 will cover the costs of a session with our Bereavement Counsellor

Ø  £35 will enable a child to experience a magical hour in the multi sensory room with a specially trained member of staff

Ø  £15 will buy a DVD to enable the children to enjoy the latest movies

Ø  £10 will buy a CD to enable a child to relax and enjoy some music

Ø  £10 will pay for a child’s meal, tailored to their own specific dietary needs

Ø  £8 will buy a sponge painting kit

Ø  £5 will buy a selection of glitter pens or paints

Ø  £3 will buy a set of colouring pencils or glitter shakers

Ø  £3 will pay for us to provide our services at Chestnut Tree House for one minute.

Ø  £2 will buy a pair of scissors for use by toddlers or a pot of glue

Ø  £1 will buy a pack of plasticine or some coloured chalks

Ø  £4.00 pays for one minute of our care services at Chestnut Tree House

 

 

 

 

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 and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.