I have now completed the Edinburgh Marathon in 4:05:07 in one of the most gruelling, most difficult and rewarding experiences of my life. All of the training, the controlled diet and the other sacrifices were all worth it in the end. As part of the training I also ran 2 half marathons in Lichfield and in Colchester.

The reason I have chosen Envision is that I have worked closely with them since my University days in Birmingham. Envision works with young adults in schools and colleges on projects of the young adults choosing. In an era where the opportunities for young adults are rapidly decreasing (e.g tuition fees rising, staggeringly high youth unemployment rates) Envision does an incredible job in enabling young adults to start to reach their potential.

I volunteered for several years as an EYE ( a mentor) and I saw first hand the impact their work has. Some of the projects I helped organise were truly inspiring. One group organised a fashion show to their school to demonstrate it was ok to reject the stereotypes the media wants to force on young adults, another group collected food parcels and clothes for a homeless charity at their college. These are just two examples of of the dozens of worthwhile projects I have seen over the years.

The young adults on the whole found Envision an incredibly worthwhile experience. They enjoyed being listened to and having people believe in them as a lot of uncertainty exists around the life chances of many young adults in society at the moment. A lot of the students confidence grew considerably and they were really proud of the projects they had completed. Many gained skills that helped them get a job or go onto Uni.

Envision is a truly worthwhile charity that deserves your attention and your money.

Check them out here http://www.envision.org.uk/

I am also blogging about my running adventures here.

http://shaz30.wordpress.com/