“There’s no way that I’ll ever do that again” I said as I crossed the finishing line of the 2009 London Marathon before bursting into tears! The pain was (relatively) short-lived and before long a feeling a deep satisfaction grew – partly at what I had achieved personally but also at the money raised for Queenscourt Hospice in Southport. Together with my running partner and work colleague Dr David Unwin, I have raised over £5,000 for Queenscourt in the last 2 years. David is now taking a well-earned break following his herculean efforts in the Blackpool Marathon earlier this year.

If I’m honest, I feel slightly uncomfortable at coming round, cap in hand so soon, however, the support and encouragement from so many of you to give it another go has been overwhelming.

Training for the marathon is physically and emotionally exhausting. Running for 20 miles along the Coast Road over the winter is soul-destroying and energy-sapping. Knowing that there are people kind enough to support me helps keep me going in the wind and hail.

My links with Queenscourt go back a long way. My wife was a doctor there for many years and I have always admired the fantastic work that they have done, both for my patients and sadly, also for a close relative and several friends. As a charity, Queenscourt is dependent on the generosity of people such as yourselves to keep going. Every penny that you donate (and even more if you Gift Aid it) goes directly to Queenscourt.

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.