I'm taking on the challenge of walking 100 km (62 miles) from London to Brighton on 12th/13th May. I'm aiming to finish the walk within 24-26 hours which means there won't be much time for a good sit down (let alone nap) along the way!

The reason I'm walking is not just to save petrol on a seaside getaway but to raise awareness and most importantly funds for Macmillan Cancer Support. I'm aiming to raise £375 over the next couple of months and I'm hoping that anyone reading this can spare a moment and a few pennies to set me on my way. Anything small or (large!) will be greatly appreciated as my £375 will be added to my work collegue's collections and together we are hoping to raise over £11,250.

The Cause

My chosen charity is Macmillan Cancer Support who provide invaluable help to those affected by any type of cancer and at any stage of their illness. More information can be found on the Macmillan website, but for an idea of how your money (no matter how small!) can help please read on!

· 12p could pay for a copy of our A quick guide to benefits and financial help leaflet. This features easy-to-read information about what financial benefits are available to someone affected by cancer.

· 46p could pay for a copy of The cancer guide. This Macmillan booklet can help someone recently diagnosed with cancer, and their families, understand more about cancer, its treatment, and the help available.

· £2 could keep a typical Macmillan information and support centre stocked with all the information resources it needs to support people affected by cancer for an hour. These resources would include booklets, guides, directories and leaflets.

· £19 could pay for a Macmillan cancer information and support specialist for an hour. This would mean more people affected by cancer would have someone to answer their questions and talk to about their concerns.

· £22 could pay for a service provided by volunteers that offers emotional or practical support. The money would also fund a volunteer coordinator and the training and support of up to 30 volunteers for an hour.

· £25 could pay for a Macmillan nurse for an hour, helping people living with cancer and their families receive essential medical, practical and emotional support.

· £181 could pay for a Macmillan social worker or family support worker for a day. They work with community and social services agencies to help people manage the social and practical problems of living with cancer.

· £334 could pay for a Macmillan Grant that helps a family affected by cancer take a holiday and enjoy precious time together.

· £435 could operate the financial support element of our phone service for an hour. In this time, our cancer support specialists could, on average, deal with nine cases and help secure £17,489 in unclaimed benefits.

· £12,149 could help run a large Macmillan information and support centre for a month.

· £11,250 (the total target my team at work are aiming to raise) could pay for 2.25% of a new chemotherapy suite in a hospital.

The Challenge

Guaranteed blisters, aches and bleary eyes.

For anyone interested in more details about the challenge itself please visit the event website. If you'd like to see the provisional route I'll be taking let me know and I will send it on!

How to donate

Finally the most important part is to tell you how to help! 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. Please have a look around JustGiving for any further info!

The minimum you can donate online is £2 and will take less than 5 minutes. Alternatively you can text donations (no added charges) of £1, £2, £3, £4, £5 or £10 to 70070 with the following code ELLE62 and the amount:

 

e.g. ELLE62 £1

 

If you'd rather pay me separately I will also readily accept cash, cheques and offers of a lift back from Brighton on the day!