Hi there!  Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

Mencap has been chosen by the Co-operative (the company I work for) as their 2011 Charity of the Year, and given my non-existent track record (haha?) when it comes to running, I thought the Bristol 10k represented an excellent opportunity to get my trainers on and raise some serious money for a great cause.  You can find out lots more about the wonderful work that Mencap do at their website, but here are just a few examples of how a donation from you could help:

-  £25 could help Mencap to make the first visit to a family who have a newly-born child with a learning disability and desperately need advice and support.

-  £50 could pay for two young people with a learning disability to take part on Mencap's Gateway Award programme for a year.

-  £140 would enable Mencap to respond to ten calls on their freephone Learning Disability Helpline and provide vital information and support to people with a learning disability and their families.

And if I hit my fundraising target?  Well...

-  £250 could pay for 16 children who cannot speak to attend a special workshop where they can learn Makaton sign language.

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

Whatever you can spare would mean the world to me, and if you could spread the word amongst your family and friends, it would mean even more.  From me, and from Mencap, thank you so much!