Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page. Please take five minutes to read the stories below;

THE APPEAL

During 2012, I'm going to be a doing series of challenges, so rather than hammering people for sponsorship every time I do something, I've set up a year long page so that you can put in a little or a lot whenever you can afford to or whenever I do a challenge that you want to sponsor me for. The list of events and challenges will be constantly updated and are subject to change due to unforeseen circumstances (e.g. if I'm not successful in ballots for runs) - these are listed further down the page...

The Grace House North East Childrens Hospice appeal is my chosen charity and £1,000 (revised total) will hopefully be raised to fund essential toilet facilities - below is a bit more about the charity

The Grace House North East Childrens Hospice Appeal was founded by local broadcaster Kathy Secker. When she heard that the North East of England had the lowest number of hospice beds in the United Kingdom she decided to launch the charity to ensure that local families had access to this type of care. As you read this, there are probably about 1,000 families in the North East region coping with the most devastating news any parent can hear - that their much-loved child will not live to be an adult, for some death will come in weeks, for others it may be months or several years. Whatever time left is precious and a children's hospice can help make the most of that time, providing expert medical help and professional care and also giving emotional support and practical help, allowing the whole family to enjoy the good days and share the bad ones.

At present the North East has the LOWEST number of hospice beds for children in the whole country.

Grace House will provide a home from home for every sick child across the North East, from the borders of Scotland to Teesside - it will provide support for their siblings and parents and offer respite and terminal care. A team of dedicated professionals will offer the most up-to-date medical skills and palliative care and support geared to the needs of the whole family; physical and emotional. Help will be available 24 hours a day 365 days a year...continuing into bereavement for as long as is needed. The purpose built hospice will be self-contained with bright, homely rooms for children and accomodation for whole families. It will provide a much-needed addition to existing services, giving parents a break, a chance to share their time with other children in the family as well as the gravely ill. A chance to talk about their fears and complex emotions , facing up to a future which can never be what they had hoped.

The Grace House North East Childrens Hospice Appeal is named after eleven year old Grace Jones, an angelic, curly-haired youngster who suffers from a mystery illness that has left her disabled and unable to speak. For further information please visit www.gracehouse.co.uk

A BIT ABOUT HAZEYS HEROES MEMORIAL TRUST FUND...

In January 2008 Graeme "Hazey" Kerton lost a phenomenally brave fight against cancer or his "dark friend" as he called it, he has inspired many people, including myself, to do many things - here's his story...Graeme was born in October 1977 to Yolande and Michael Kerton, following his (wonderful) sister Mel. At the age of 16 Graeme was diagnosed with Crohns Disease, an auto-immune condition in which the body attacks its own digestive system. Just a year later as a result of Crohns disease, he was diagnosed with the chronic liver condition Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC). He lived his life to the full (with both conditions presenting persistent and inconvenient symptoms) and established a career as a talented digital artist. At the age of 29 another bout of ill health concluded with him being diagnosed with Cholangiocarcinoma (cancer of the bile ducts) as a result of the damage PSC had done to his liver. Graeme fought an amazingly dignified brave battle against the disease. Five years earlier he had registered as "Hazey"  on www.readytogo.net an internet message boards for fans of Sunderland AFC. From May 2006 (a year before the cancer diagnosis) he kept an entertaining blog entiltled "Dull Ramblings" on this message biard. The blog entries continued throughout his cancer diagnosis and up until 3 days before his death, aged 30, on 6th January 2008. A true hero and legend in every sense of the word, I will endeavour to raise as much money as possible in his name until I physically can't do any more - that is my promise...

THE EVENTS

Jan 7th Great Winter Run, Edinburgh - 5km run

March 25th Sport Relief, Chester-le-Street - 10km run

May 27th Sunderland big bike ride - 36 miles

June 7th Climb Pen-y-Ghent

June 14th 16th Coast2Coast  - 157 mile cycle ride

July 7th Climb Mount Snowdon

August 27th Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge - postponed due to awful weather conditions re-arranged Date TBC

August 29th - climb Skiddaw via Ullock Pike and Ridge

August 31st - climb Helvellyn via Striding Edge and Wirral Edge

September 23rd - Race for Grace

October 28th - McCain Yorkshire Coast 10k, Scarborough

December 26th - Boxing Day Dip, Sunderland

31st December 2012 - TBC any challenges? Any ideas?

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