Hi

SO...I was told by a doctor last week that I could do with losing “a little weight” as my BMI is too high and there are health implications :-S... little did I know that the “losing a little weight” would actually equate to about 3 stone (42lbs!!)! However, I have decided that, not only will I lose the weight, but I would like to raise some money for a very deserving and worthwhile cause in the process! Therefore, I'd REALLY appreciate your help and support.

Firstly, let me tell you a little bit about the Charity that I have chosen to support. The Piers Simon Appeal is a family-run charity that was set up in memory of Piers, an outstanding young local man, who was tragically killed whilst on holiday in Thailand when the Tsunami hit on Dec 26 2004. Luke, Piers’ brother, was with Piers on that fateful day and experienced, first hand, the absolute devastation left behind by the Tsunami. He and his family have now made it their mission, through the Piers Simon Appeal, to raise funds in aid of regenerating communities that have been left devastated by disasters the world over and to alleviate the suffering and hardship of those affected. They have done some amazing work, sending relief to projects in many countries, including Haiti, Chile, Thailand, Swaziland, Kenya, Sierra Leone... and the list goes on. You can see some of the projects they’ve been involved with by following the link to their website (www.pierssimonappeal.org). It is truly humbling.

I know that me losing weight is so trivial in the grand scheme of things, but if you can help me to raise funds and to reach (or exceed) my target, the £600 raised would roughly equate to providing 60 children in Africa with “School in a Bag” rucksacks, giving them the opportunity to write, draw, colour, calculate, express themselves and, above all, learn... or maybe it could go towards providing transitional shelters for families in Chile who have had their homes destroyed by the huge earthquake in Feb 2010 - £600 would provide timber shelters for at least three families. Anything that you feel able to donate would be greatly appreciated and well put to use! Every penny of your donation will go directly towards helping those in need.

I will be updating this page regularly and will keep you informed of my progress. It'll  probably take me a good 5 months to reach my end goal, as I don't intend to "crash diet", but rest assured I WILL get there!  Healthy eating and regular trips to the gym are onthe cards for the next few months! My interim target is to lose 21lbs by my 40th Birthday in July... I'll keep you posted.

Please feel free to forward my link to any of YOUR friends or family that would support this cause and let’s try to raise as much as we can, in record time!!

THANK YOU so much for your time and support.

Kerry x

P.S. 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.