On 5 September 2010, I'm going to be participating in the Adidas Women's 5k challenge in London's Hyde Park. I realise that 5k isn't a huge distance to run - in fact, one could probably roll it given a good incline and a decent push at the start - but it comes at the end of a year of hard work to improve my fitness generally.

A year ago, I couldn't run 500m without being out of puff, and if you'd told me I'd be running in a race a year on, I'd have looked at you dubiously and backed away. But since then, I've been steadily getting fitter (and less fatter) and more recently training to run, which is why this - albeit modest - target is a big deal for me. And I'm going to run, not roll it.

And with your help it can be a big deal for people around the world, too. Oxfam's work in developing countries means that even the small fundraising target I've set will help provide essential healthcare, education and infrastructural support for those who need it most. For example, just £100 can buy essential medicines for a whole village for six months. And if that isn't enough to inspire me to get running, I don't know what is.

If you haven't used this site before, here's what you need to know:

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.

So please dig deep and donate now - and I'll get running.