Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

I AM RUNNING THE 2010 LONDON MARATHON AND NEED YOUR SUPPORT!!!!

So please dig deep and donate now. Here's why:

Sophie is the youngest of three children.  Her childhood was traumatic - her mum had mental health issues and her dad was an alcoholic. Sophie often suffered physical abuse at the hands of her parents. Her earliest memory was being beaten black and blue by her dad when she was just three years old.

 

Sophie was eventually placed in foster care but tragically her foster mum died suddenly and Sophie found herself on the streets almost overnight. She was homeless for the next three years – mainly living on the streets, sleeping in doorways and parks. During this time one of her friends overdosed. Another was raped and murdered.

 

Thankfully, Sophie found Centrepoint and has now been living in one of their services in south London for the past eight months. Sophie loves her room.  It is somewhere she feels completely safe.

 

Since being at Centrepoint, Sophie has formed great relationships with her support and development worker and her key worker, who has helped her to go back to college to take adult literacy and numeracy classes. In addition to her studies, Sophie is learning basic life skills such as budgeting, how to pay bills and cooking through Centrepoint’s Lifewise programme. She is also having intensive counselling to help her cope with her traumatic childhood and is learning to feel better about herself, having spent a lifetime feeling, in her words, worthless and ugly.

 

 

A litte about myself:

 

I am a Canadian but have enjoyed living in Bermuda and now the UK.  I am an accountant working for KPMG in London, England.  I have worked directly and indirectly for KPMG in Bermuda, Canada and the UK during my career. 

I also worked with the insurance management company Aon for much of the time I spent in Bermuda.  I lived in Bermuda for ten years before moving to London in 2008. 

I have made wonderful business and personal friendships throughout the world and am indebted to both KPMG and Aon for making my career as rewarding and exciting as it has been.

I turned 40 years old last December.  I am not sure if it was a mid-life crisis or what but, whatever the reason was, I set myself a personal challenge to 'do something big or different'.  I wasn't quite sure what that was going to be.  The 2009 London Marathon was televised and I watched part of it.  The next thing I knew I had committed myself to running in the 2010 London Marathon in April 2010.  Not sure how I managed to do that given that I have never done anything like that before and I don't think I will do so again!!!!....but now I am committed to it....

My main goal is just to finish the marathon itself but would be great if I can to do so in 4 1/2 hours ..... 

 

MY CHARITY:

As it turns out that the marathon is the biggest fund raising event (of its kind) in the world where funds are raised for many charities.  I am running in support of a UK based charity called Centrepoint.  This charity helps young homeless people have a second chance to get back on their feet and make something of their lives.  Therefore, please give as much as you can.  I am asking for support from colleagues, family and friends in over a dozen countries (so I am not sure if you get any tax relief if you are donating from outside the UK but please give generously)!!!!

 

All donations made are in UK pound sterling (so if donating outside the UK, please remember that this is the currency you are actually donating in although your credit/debit cards will be hit with whatever the exchange equivalent is).

 

How your gift can help a homeless person:

£100 provides meals, secure accommodation and support for one person for four days

£250 covers the cost of a course in job interview techniques for five young people

£500 provides hot meals and accommodation for everyone in an emergency shelter for one night

£1000 provides hot meals and accommodation for everyone in an emergency shelter over Christmas and Boxing Day

£2000 provides accommodation for one week for everyone in a specialist service for homeless young people with health and support needs

Higher than this....I will be your best friend always!!!!!

 

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.