Story

From being one of the last kids to be picked for a sports team at school I am now training so that I can run a marathon, slightly crazy I know!  Finally after 6 years of applying for a ballot place in the London Marathon I have got one so on Sunday 22 April 2012 I will be running around London with thousands of other people to raise lots of money for charity.  The charities I'm raising money for are close to my heart and I'm hoping that I'll even be lucky enough to go to Zimbabwe next year with World Vision to see what some of the money raised is being spent on (please read on for more info).  If I manage to reach my fundraising target for the London Marathon I will even run the Bristol 10K on 20th May (a week after our wedding) dress as a groom and Ed will be in a wedding dress so what more incentive do you need to get your phone out and text or your card out and sponsor me online!? After doing a few half marathons it's a challenge I want to achieve both mentally and physically.  I didn't quite plan for it to be the same year as I turn 30 and 3 weeks before I get married but hopefully I'll still be able to walk/hobble down the aisle.  I’m going to need lots of motivation and seeing the fundraising money going up will help immensely.  So here's a bit about the charities I'm raising money for.  The donating logistics has been set up by Woodlands Church in Bristol which splits the money between all the causes below (100% of the money will go to the charties as the admin is done for free), some of which are just down the road and others which are a bit further afield having more of a more global impact. You can donate online via the link above or even via text by texting 'RUTH82' and the amount e.g. 'RUTH82 £10' to 70070.  You can donate £1, £2, £5 or £10 this way.  If you want to donate more via text, you will just need to text multiple times The Poor - Hurungwe, Zimbabwe Zimbabwe is a country so poor it no longer has its own currency. Unemployment is at 90% and average life expectancy is just 40 years old. Around 16% of the population are HIV positive. Love Running is the sole supporter of a World Vision area development programme (ADP) in Hurungwe, a region of around 40,000 people in the rural north of the country. Working with community leaders, churches and health clinics, this project provides education, training, business empowerment and sustainable development for entire communities. <a href="http://www.worldvision.org/">World Vision</a> is particularly focused on the plight of the many orphaned and vulnerable children in Hurungwe. <div class="lr_cause"> The Oppressed - Kigezi, Uganda Today, in 2012, 900 million people worlwide have no access to clean water. As a result, 5,000 children die each and every day. We want to do something about this injustice, so we're partnering with <a href="http://www.tearfund.org/">Tear Fund</a> to transform an area in Uganda where the problem is most acute. We're going to help provide clean water for 6,000 villagers by building rain water harvesting and filtration systems. as well developing sanitation and education. Love Running will literally change the lives of children who right now have to spend 3-4 hours a day collecting water, often at great personal risk. </div> <div class="lr_cause"> The Needy - Local Bristol Communities The final third of the money we raise will go to areas of greatest need on our own doorstep. We're joining with Bristol Council and the Race Organisers to support <a href="http://www.clicsargent.org.uk/Inyourregion/SouthWestregion">CLIC Sargent</a>, a charity that works with children suffering from leukemia and cancer. CLIC House in Bristol will receive the lion's share of our local support, with the rest being divided between 6 other Bristol charities - Crisis Centre (the homeless), Reach (single parent support), BISC (foreign students support), The Noise (community action and care), Enough (youth provision on the Hartcliffe estates) and Sea Mills Community Initiatives (community support). </div> If you fancy a day trip to London as well as donating, that would also be amazing as it really helps seeing people you know cheering you on. Hopefully the training will go well over the next 10 weeks, I’ll make it to the start line and get to the finish line in one piece.   Now a bit about the donating.... 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. Many Thanks, Ruth X

Ruth's page

Ruth's page

Story

Donation summary