On 27 September, we will be taking on the mammoth challenge of running over 13 miles in the Run to the Beat Half Marathon. "Why?" you may ask...

Well we're trying to boost our karma by pushing ourselves to our physical limits to raise money to help those less fortunate. And you can do your bit too by sponsoring us.

All of the money we raise will be donated towards the work of a fantastic little charity working in Sierra Leone - the Construction and Development Partnership (Codep). You probably haven't heard of them but they are doing an excellent job of raising literacy in Sierra Leone, the poorest country in the world. 

Sierra Leone is currently recovering from a bloody decade of civil war which saw thousands of children forced to fight as child soldiers and 2 million people displaced. Its fair to say if we had been born in Sierra Leone the chances of us being alive today are very slim. The country has now returned to democracy but is dreadfully poor and one in four children never make it to their 5th birthday. Despite this the people of Sierra Leone are optimistic about a bright future and are determined to ensure their children get an education and break the cycle of poverty.

Codep are working to this end to ensure that everybody, children and adults alike, get the chance to learn to read and gain vocational training. You can find out more about their current project - a educational and resource facility The Equiano Centre - on their website www.codep.co.uk

So reach for your credit card and please be as generous as you can afford!

And to make everything a little sweeter, if you are a UK tax payer the government gives Codep an extra 28% at no cost to you - just make sure you tick to GiftAid your donation.

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.