Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

I am running the London Marathon on April 22, 2012 - which will be my 11th Marathon. The London Marathon is the largest annual fundraising event on the planet – runners have raised over £500 million for good causes since the race began in 1981, and over 75% of the 37,500 runners this year will be running for good causes.

So I have decided to run for the Guide Dogs charity organization - a charity that I have supported for many years, and ran for in last year's London Marathon.

The ability to get around is vital in order to live a full life, yet thousands of blind and partially sighted people never leave home alone. Guide Dogs empowers visually impaired people to do that and relies on the support of the public to fund its services.

This charity breeds and trains guide dogs that provide life-changing mobility. There are currently 4,500 working guide dog partnerships in the UK, and over 25,000 around the world. Guide dog owners only have to pay a nominal 50p for their dog, to ensure that no-one is prevented from having one due to a lack of funds. The full lifetime cost of a guide dog from birth to retirement is £48,500.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure - from anywhere in the world. 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.

Thank you in advance for your contribution!

Alan