Raised: 117%
Target: £1,000.00
Raised so far: £1,165.00
Donate now

My story

 
Thank you for visiting my fundraising page. I am running the Great North Run 2009 half-marathon with a team organised by Jubilee Debt Campaign at Newcastle University, in association with Make Poverty History - North East, to raise awareness and provide money to fight HIV/AIDS for Oxfam and for JDC-UK.

Last year, I crawled round the 13.1 miles in just under 96 mins, spurred on by the generosity of my sponsors who contributed £1,059. Together with the other 41 runners in the Newcastle JDC team, we raised £14,993. This year, my target is to beat 95 minutes and raise another £1,000. Please dig deep and sponsor me online to help the Jubilee Debt Campaign and Oxfam.

WHY GIVE TO JUBILEE DEBT CAMPAIGN AND TO FIGHT HIV/AIDS?

Half of the sponsorship money raised will be sent to the Jubilee Debt Campaign (JDC) for its work to reduce global poverty by the cancellation of unpayable debt.  The other half will be sent to Oxfam for their work with HIV/AIDS and AIDS orphans.

"We believe AIDS is the worst catastrophe ever to hit the world", says Carol Bellamy, UNICEF's Executive Director - small wonder, given that 40-45 million people are infected with HIV globally and 3 million die from AIDS each year. However, the tragedy extends far beyond the sick and dying. By 2010, over 18 million African children will have lost one or both parents to AIDS. Millions of children not yet in their teens now find themselves totally responsible for younger siblings; millions of weak and impoverished elderly people are left to care for grandchildren.

The fight against HIV/AIDS can be won. The rate of new infections can be slashed, as it has been in Uganda; transmission during birth and the development of full-blown AIDS can be blocked by drug use; the plight of the sick and dying can be mitigated; and the carers of orphans can be supported. The medical tools and the financial resources are available - all that is needed is the exercise of decency and will to deploy them.

Jubilee Debt Campaign

As that advert might put it: “We don’t do global poverty reduction, but if we did, it would probably be the best global poverty reduction in the world”. But since they don’t do it, that distinction probably belongs to JDC, if the almost ludicrous contrast between the magnitude of its impact and the modesty of its budget is taken into account.

Most charitable trusts reject our applications for funding, explaining that, whilst they have every sympathy with JDC’s objectives, they prefer to use their resources in ways that bring direct and immediate help to the poor. However, the campaign is already benefiting some of the most impoverished countries by billions of pounds each year; can “direct and immediate help” compare with this?

The Commission for Africa found that Benin was using 54% of its first tranche of debt relief on health; in Tanzania, relief has put an extra two million children (mostly girls) into primary school; in Mozambique, it has been used to provide universal vaccination for children; in Uganda, an extra two million now have clean water; and so on. The fight against HIV/AIDS has been a major beneficiary of debt relief in many countries.

Just over 20 countries received substantial debt relief during the last year, but at least 60 are in urgent need of it - even after the recent write-offs, the western world will still be extorting over $100 million from them each day in debt repayments.

The Newcastle Team Patrons are Prof Sir George Alberti (former President of the Royal College of Physicians), Jonathan Edwards CBE (Olympic Gold Medalist) and Rt Rev Dr Tom Wright (Bishop of Durham).

Your gift

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and secure. It is also the most efficient way to sponsor me: the Jubilee Debt Campaign and Oxfam will receive your money faster and, if you are a UK taxpayer, an extra 28% in tax will be added to your gift at no cost to you. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails.

So please sponsor me now!  Many thanks for your support.

Hugh

 

Well done Hugh. Big effort. Barrie Donation by David Johnson 23/09/09  

£15.00 + £4.23 Gift Aid

Well done Hugh! Donation by Maria & Martin Fox (Romero!) 22/09/09  

£10.00 + £2.82 Gift Aid

Better late than never - that's me not you! Well done. Donation by Jenny Lightfoot 22/09/09  

£10.00 + £2.82 Gift Aid

Well done Hugh - didn't see you get the gold but sure you weren't far behind... Donation by Will Mayes 21/09/09  

£10.00 + £2.82 Gift Aid

Well done - I couldn't do 72 holes of golf in 103 minutes - nor would you Donation by Nick & Elizabeth Potter 20/09/09  

£50.00 + £14.10 Gift Aid

Well done! Have a long hot bath after! Donation by Iain Tuckett 20/09/09  

£45.00 + £12.69 Gift Aid

Fantastic effort yet again. Hope you manage to get a massage at the end! Donation by STEPHEN REES 19/09/09  

£10.00 + £2.82 Gift Aid

Good luck Hugh Donation by Alan Gibbon 19/09/09  

£10.00 + £2.82 Gift Aid

All the best for Saturday Hugh Donation by Adrian Butler 18/09/09  

£10.00 + £2.82 Gift Aid

Don't damage the leg! Donation by john 18/09/09  

£15.00 + £4.23 Gift Aid

rock'em and sock'em! Donation by suzanne and george 18/09/09  

£25.00

Good running Hugh! Donation by Natalie Phillips 18/09/09  

£10.00 + £2.82 Gift Aid

You're mad, but it's for a good cause... Donation by Charly 18/09/09  

£15.00 + £4.23 Gift Aid

All the best Donation by Steve Parkinson 18/09/09  

£10.00 + £2.82 Gift Aid

Calf strain my arse....get on with it and good luck on the day! Donation by Anonymous 18/09/09  

£200.00 + £56.41 Gift Aid

What a trouper! Good luck, Hugh. Donation by David Leitch 18/09/09  

£10.00 + £2.82 Gift Aid

Maybe this little bump will give you an extra little boost; I hope your calf feels better for the big day! Donation by Jennifer Barnhart 18/09/09  

£20.00

All the best on Sunday. Run like the wind!!! Lots of love from across the pond!! Donation by Pamela, Fernando, Sofia & Nicolas 18/09/09  

£15.00

Rather you than me! I will allow myself to be inspired by the Berlin marathon this weekend. Good Luck Donation by Caroline von Falkenhausen 17/09/09  

£30.00

Best of luck Hugh! Hope the strain doesn't bother you too much on Sunday. We'll be thinking of you. Donation by mc and Will 17/09/09  

£25.00

Go for it Hugh! Expecting to see you surge past John in a blur! Donation by John and Sel Donaldson 17/09/09  

£10.00 + £2.82 Gift Aid

Howay Hugh Hope you can gan across toon in record time. Best of luck Donation by Cameron Alexander 17/09/09  

£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid

Go for it Hugh, all the best. Donation by Keith Parker 17/09/09  

£10.00 + £2.82 Gift Aid

Good luck Hugh. Remember you used the excuses of fatherhood and age to miss your target last year. Donation by Richard Beaven 17/09/09  

£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid

Have fun. Donation by Paul Edwards 17/09/09  

£10.00 + £2.82 Gift Aid

Good Luck Hugh. Limp round if you have to! Bill. Donation by William Perkins 17/09/09  

£10.00 + £2.82 Gift Aid

Good luck Hugh! Donation by Natalie Kruse 17/09/09  

£10.00

Donation by Dirk Liss 17/09/09  

£10.00 + £2.82 Gift Aid

Very impressed with your continued enthusiam for the GNR! I hope you achieve your time - Good luck and enjoy it (hopefully)!! Selina Donation by selina bamforth 17/09/09  

£10.00 + £2.82 Gift Aid

good luck Hugh Donation by Lesley Batty 16/09/09  

£5.00 + £1.41 Gift Aid
Donate now
 
* Total raised online: £1,095.00
  Offline donations: £70.00
  Gift Aid plus supplement: £259.49

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