When Jane Russell, Funding Development Manager for CID, asked me to run in the London Marathon on behalf of CID I accepted, without hesitation. Jane first introduced me to CID over 8 years ago when she had the unenviable task of being my secretary. The Lush family have supported the charity ever since.

Over the years I have been amazed at the difference CID has made to lives of those in its care, as well as their immediate families. Whenever I see photos of the children and staff, I always see smiling, happy faces…testament to the dedication of everyone involved and the amazing success of CID.

There is no shortage of charities looking for runners to participate in the London Marathon on their behalf. So why run for CID?  Preparing for the London Marathon is arduous. For the next 5 months my alarm clock will shrill at 5.30 am every morning, by 6 am I will be pounding the streets getting body and soul prepared for the great day. Weekends offer no respite. This is the day marathon runners fit in what they call ‘the long one’. For me this means at least 4 hours running over the North Yorkshire Moors. Even the dog refuses to come! On top of this I will endure the winter darkness, wind, rain, sleet and snow…who can blame the dog?

When you prepare for any Marathon you need one vital ingredient.  A sense of purpose,   something that gets you out of bed and running without hesitation, no matter what. Those smiling faces will provide this most vital ingredient, that sense of purpose, by the bucketful. With your help I hope to raise as much money as possible to ensure CID vital work continues and those faces keep smiling!