Right, in rather more polite terms than Saint Bob of Geldof once put it, "give us yer flamin' money". I'm running the Birmingham Half Marathon in October to hopefully raise a few quid for the Alzheimer's Society.

For those of you who don't know, my dad was diagnosed with the illness shortly before Christmas 2008, and it's so tough to watch his health deteriorate with each visit home. Alzheimer's is one of the most destructive diseases, in that it robs you of the very essence of the person. As we know, there is no cure.

I'm well aware that the money I raise won't lead to a miracle cure, but maybe one day there'll be a way of preventing, or at least stopping people suffering from the disease.

So, give whatever you can - obviously, whatever you can afford, and I'll do my bit, namely pounding the mean streets of Birmingham.

Thanks

Dan.