I feel very lucky and privileged to have been offered a place in Help The Hospices 2013 London Marathon team and really want to do them proud - both with a good performance on the day and in my fundraising efforts for them, so am asking you all to dig deep for this amazing charity and give whatever you can to help reach my target.  As many of you will know, I unfortunately have first hand experience of the incredible work that hospices do when my own lovely mum was ill and no doubt some of you will also have come into contact with one at some stage or know someone who has - hospices will always be needed regardless of advances in treatments and medical research.  Not only do they provide care and support at the end of life but I can testify from my own experience that they are there for patients and their families throughout a terminal illness and beyond - all free of charge.

I am so proud to once again be running to raise money in memory of my much loved and missed mum, and hope that you might feel inspired to make a donation (however small) to help others who may need the support of a hospice in the future.

I will be aiming to complete the marathon in a quicker time than my 2012 effort so there will be more time for celebratory drinks at the end, should you wish to join me!  Your support either on the day itself or financially (but hopefully both!) will be very much appreciated. x

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.

So please dig deep and donate now.