<p>Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.</p> <p>Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving &ndash; they&rsquo;ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they&rsquo;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&rsquo;s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.</p> <p>This will be my first marathon and my first time trying to raise such a large amount for charity. I have been set a minimum target to raise but would like to go beyond this. Please give as much as you can to help this worthwhile charity. All money raised is with the help of the Charity Challenge department at BAE Systems Samlesbury.</p> <p>I have put in 9 months of training, covering approx 1000 miles, 3 pairs of trainers, 18lbs in weight, 3 inches off my waist and god knows how many bottles of lucozade. I have made many changes to my diet and lifestyle to give this training my all and be able to not only complete the run but also in a decent time. I hope you will be able to contribute in some way and may the past 9 months even more worthwhile.</p> <p>Any money raised will help in the following areas:</p> <h2>Debt relief</h2> <p>Debt affects many former soldiers who find themselves struggling to keep their heads above water, especially in times of high unemployment.</p> <h3>Mobility assistance and home modifications</h3> <p>To ensure soldiers and former soldiers have the opportunity to live a full life.</p> <h3>Education bursaries</h3> <p>To help soldiers train and gain skills to achieve employment once they leave the Army.</p> <h3>Annuities and carehome fees</h3> <p>Payable to the most vulnerable in society.</p> <h3>War widow and family financial support</h3> <p>To help soldiers&rsquo; immediate families who have suffered a bereavement or who may be experiencing temporary financial difficulty.</p> <h3>Holiday schemes</h3> <p>to give a welcome break to soldiers and their families in financial difficulty who would not otherwise be able to afford to do so.</p> <p>More details can be found at <a href="http://www.soldierscharity.org/">http://www.soldierscharity.org/</a></p> <p>Thankyou for your generous donations</p> <p>Simon</p>