I am running the London Marathon and hoping to raise some money for a project run by the charity Plan UK to provide primary school equipment and furniture to 69 schools in Ecuador.

A few details about the project ...

In the last few years, the Republic of Ecuador has suffered economic recession and soaring inflation. As a result, over 40% of the population is living on less than £1 a day. Academic achievement is low and only 14% of children leave primary school having gained basic language skills, and just 19% acquire basic maths skills. One of the reasons for this is that many classrooms are poorly equipped. There are no blackboards, desks or chairs, which makes it extremely difficult for children to learn. Plan recognises that education is a crucial way to beat poverty – enabling boys and especially girls to gain the skills and knowledge they need to pull their communities out of poverty and reach their full potential in life.