Now - about this running then...

Q)  How many times in my entire life have I voluntarily ran around in the cold?

A)  Zero

Q)  How many times in my entire life have I voluntarily worn a Santa suit in public?

A)  Zero

Q)  How many times in my entire life have I chosen to wear a beard whilst sweating profusely?

A)  ... Zero.

So why am I doing it on December 6th at Greenwich Park? 

Because I'm raising money for the brilliant charity I work for - the National Literacy Trust.  I've worked here since June 2009 and have seen for myself the fruits of your donations - brilliant, creative, evidence-based projects which help empower people and communities through books and literacy.

It's not just about reading for pleasure, although that's usually the start of the process.  Building excellent reading skills can be a magic bullet for education - delivering benefits through all subjects and disciplines and improving life chances, social mobility and self-belief which is then passed down to generations to come.

One in Six people in the UK today struggle with literacy - our projects provide a social mobility ladder for thousands of children and adults every year.

A bit more about JustGiving:

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.