Illness is something that touches all our lives, but we don't always get to know the places that can help us until we need them.

St. Gemma's Hospice in Leeds is an amazing place where anyone who needs it can access care with dignity at no charge.

Our great friend Kairen Brown lost her husband Dean to MS recently. He was just 50. They spent his last days together in St. Gemma's. The caring staff and open environment really helped them through those hard times.

"The Yorkshireman" is arguably Britian's toughest marathon. This wholly off-road race is set in the hills and fells in the Yorkshire Dales above Keighley, and is so tough it is actually classed as a Fell Race. The 2 of us run as a team and carry all our own kit - food, water and survival equipment - no GPS allowed, just hills, bogs, stinging nettles and sheep. Over 26 miles, we climb 4,000 feet. If we finish, we get a medal and a cup of tea, and of course the honorary title of "Yorkshiremen"!

So we're back in training, running up and down mountains so you don't have to!

So if you are friend, family or colleague of Todd, Martin, Kairen or Dean then please donate right now.  Then sit back and enjoy the tales of hard training, breakdowns and heroism that we'll post here from time to time.

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 do it now!

Thanks, love and respect from Martin and Todd.