Thanks for visiting my fundraising page.

One day back in February, something mad happened and after chatting to my friend Tom on MSN, I decided it would be a great idea to run the British 10k in London on July 12th for charity.  Since I am not a runner, and at that point I couldn't even run for 15 minutes at a time, I have NO IDEA why I decided that this was a sensible thing to do.  Nonetheless, I decided to go ahead and when it came to choosing a charity, there were only two that I wanted to support - Great Ormond Street hospital (where I had eyelid operations as a child) and Battersea Dogs and Cats Home.  The latter won this time so I'll do another crazy event for Great Ormand Street :-)

So it's 3 months later and after a lot of training I can now run for 50 minutes without dying, and I finally think I might make it over that finish line in one piece. Every training session I do makes me more determined to raise money for this excellent charity. 

Battersea Dogs and Cats Home was started in 1860 by Mrs Mary Tealby, who was concerned with the number of stray cats and dogs wandering the streets of Victorian London.  Despite the view that helping animals was immoral at a time when poor people were suffering in appalling conditions she persevered, dying in 1865 of cancer, penniless.  But her vision lived on.  

Today, animals brought to Battersea are given the best of care, given expert medical attention if required and behaviourists work with the animals to ensure they are suitable to be rehomed.  Their four main aims are to rescue, reunite, rehabilitate and rehome....and they do this 365 days a year. Every year they care for about 12,000 animals.

Many of the dogs and cats that find their way to Battersea have been mistreated or have picked up bad habits from not being well trained. Some animals are mentally scarred by their experiences.  Battersea's rehabilitation unit gives these animals a second chance, working with them to iron out any problems before rehoming them.

Living in a rented flat means I can't have a pet easily now, but I've been around cats and dogs all my life.  Their welfare has always been important to me and this is why I choose to run for Battersea Dogs and Cats Home.  Knowing that every £25 I raise will feed 50 dogs for a day makes me feel that I'm doing something worthwhile.  Please help me exceed my target - this is a worthwhile charity which does an amazing job.

Donating through Justgiving is quick, easy and totally secure. It’s also the most efficient way to sponsor me: Battersea Dogs & Cats Home gets your money faster and, if you’re a UK taxpayer, Justgiving makes sure 25% in Gift Aid, plus a 3% supplement, are added to your donation.

So please sponsor me now!