Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

A couple of months ago I deliberately left it until after the deadline before responding to The National Hospital Development Foundation to say that yes, of course, I'd love to run a half marathon for them, only, sadly, I seemed to have missed the deadline.  I then received an email back to say that even though I was a day late they still had a place for me...

Running a half marathon on next to no training at all is not a good idea.  I am, therefore, running a 5K on 13 September as a little warm up.

This year you have probably already given your hard-earned cash to marathon runners, Three-peaks runners, maybe even a Marathon de Sable runner.  So I imagine you're not too excited about a request for cash from someone who is running 5K and - very probably - walking 13 miles two weeks later.  So here is my plea:

The National Hospital Development Foundation (NHDF) is the charity dedicated to raising funds for The National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery which, together with the Institute of Neurology, is a worldwide leader in the research and treatment of brain disorders. These include brain and spinal cancer, dementia, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, stroke and head injuries.

The Foundation is currently aiming to raise the last £1 million needed to complete the UK's first Brain Tumour Unit which will transform brain cancer care.  It is also committed to raising £1.5 million to create Europe’s first world class comprehensive Centre for Neuromuscular Diseases, common examples of which include Spinal Muscular Atrophy, motor neurone diseases, myasthenia gravis and muscular dystrophy.

And if you're not persuaded yet, bear in mind that the National have had to put up with having me as a patient for the last 8 years, so they really do deserve all the help they can get!

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.