Update - 27th April
Very many thanks to you all for your kind support and for being so generous - we have surpassed the fundraising target by quite a distance and the total still seems be growing! 

I had a really memorable day yesterday and crossed the finish line in a time of 3hrs, 55 mins and 34 seconds.  Boy, are my legs sore today though!  Despite that, I might just be tempted to apply for what will the first Virgin London Marathon next year!

Best wishes
Stuart


A warm welcome to my fundraising page!  I am running in the London Marathon on the 26th of April and I would very much appreciate your support in raising as much money as possible for Maternity Worldwide.

Pregnancy and childbirth is one of the leading causes of death in women of reproductive age in Africa.  In fact, there is a bigger gap between the Global North and Global South in maternal death rates than on any other human development measure. 

I came across a very harrowing statistic recently which illustrates this gulf.  In Ireland (statistically the safest country in the world to give birth), a woman has a 1 in 47,600 chance of dying from a pregnancy-related cause.  In Niger, in west Africa, she has a 1 in 7 chance.

In addition to the unimaginable grief suffered by the husbands, children and families of the half a million women who die during pregnancy and childbirth each year, there is a profound effect on the socio-economic development of their community as a whole.

The aim of Maternity Worldwide, a small charity based in Brighton, is to reduce maternal deaths in developing countries by providing quality maternal health services to those communities most in need.  At present, they are mainly working in Western Ethiopia, where they are responsible for running a delivery unit in a hospital in the town of Gimbie, and administering a fund to help those least able to pay for care.

The charity is now trying to extend its services to elsewhere in the region by funding three additional hospitals and associated rural clinics, which, together with improved communications and community development, will allow a population of almost five million people to have access to improved maternity services.  For more information on this project and some further background on the charity, please log on to their web site – www.maternityworldwide.org

Giving birth should surely be one of the most special moments in a woman’s life, and the lives of her family, not the most tragic.   That’s why I kindly ask for donations to what I hope you will agree is a truly worthwhile cause.  And, if you are in the London area, why not come and support us on the 26th – it’s a great occasion to be a part of!

Donating through Justgiving is quick and secure. Your money is sent directly to Maternity Worldwide and, if you’re a UK taxpayer, Justgiving will add 25% in Gift Aid, plus a 3% supplement, to your donation.

So please sponsor me now!