On April 25^th I will be running the London Marathon in aid of the Prison Advice and Care Trust ().

As some of you will know, two years ago I ran one mile and couldn’t walk for two days. At that point the prospect of running 26.2 of the things seemed about as realistic as climbing Everest in a swimsuit. As a result, it’s taken a pretty special charity to make me don the lycra, switch on the power ballads and abuse my body through rain, wind and snow.

is a small charity that works with prisoners, prisoners’ families and ex-offenders in the south of and .

· Providing opportunities for positive contact between prisoners and their families through visitors’ centres, childrens’ play services and family days in prisons.

· Responding to the needs of prisoners at risk of suicide and self-harm through their ‘First Night in Custody’ programme.

· Supporting prisoners reintegrate back into their communities and assisting their families with the transition.

It’s an area of work that is not often publicised but having experienced ’s services first hand, I know it makes an incredible difference to people’s lives. If you’d like to know more, I’m happy to discuss the charity’s work with you.  

In the meantime, thanks a lot for all your support and for visiting my JustGiving page. Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. 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 taxpayer.