Thanks for visiting my fundraising page.

To prove my soon-to-be 30 year old joints are up to it, I have challenged myself to run the 2010 London Marathon.

I'm doing this in aid of Refuge - a fabulous charity which provides support and emergency accommodation to women and children who have experienced domestic violence. Domestic violence is serious crime that ruins lives and takes lives and for nearly 40 years Refuge has been supporting women and children fleeing violence and terror.

I am aiming to raise £2,500 so I have many £s (as well as many miles of blood, sweat and, no doubt, tears) to go. I have several plans for raising this money (including asking for donations rather than Christmas presents this year - poor me) but I can't do this without the support of my friends and family - lucky you! Therefore, I would be so grateful if you could make a contribution to my sponsorship pot. Any amount will be gratefully received by both me and Refuge but obviously the more you can spare, the more Refuge can do to help change and save lives. To give you an idea of what you could help support -

£10 could pay for an hour activity session for a group of children living in a refuge, helping their development and giving the mothers some time to themselves. 38p a mile!

£15 could allow a woman to buy her child essential materials for school - many women arrive at Refuge with nothing but the clothes they are wearing and do not have the means to buy the things they need. 57p a mile!

£35 could pay for a fun day of activities for a group of children in a refuge. £1.34 a mile!

£50 could fund a session of play therapy for a group of four children, helping them to overcome the trauma of witnessing or experiencing violence. £1.91 a mile!

£75 could fund a local support group session for women from black, minority, ethnic backgrounds who have experienced domestic violence. £2.86 a mile!

£350 could pay for a training workshop for 20 women, helping them to enter the employment market and regain their independence. £13.36 a mile!

£1,000 could pay for 10,000 leaflets to be printed to publicise Refuge's services, reaching out to the most vulnerable women and children in need of our help. £38.17 a mile!

£1,700 could allow an outreach worker to visit 136 women in their home or a place of safety, helping them to take control of their lives and to keep themselves safe. £64.89 a mile!

£3,500 could pay for 20 children to receive a programme of 12 sessions of counselling from a Refuge Psyhcologist, helping them to overcome the trauma of witnessing or experiencing abuse. £133.59 a mile!

Donating through Justgiving is quick, easy and totally secure. It’s also the most efficient way to sponsor me: Refuge gets your money faster and, if you’re a UK taxpayer, Justgiving makes sure 25% in Gift Aid, plus a 3% supplement, are added to your donation. For anyone who is not happy about donating online (even though it is totally secure), please let me know as I will have the old-fashioned sponsor form as well!

Thanks so much taking the time to read this. Look forward to hopefully receiving your donations - watching me huff and puff my way round 26.2 miles must be worth at least a tenner surely!

Julie xxxxx