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With thanks to all you generous people out there, we have collectively made a phenomenal amount for CAFOD in this year's marathon. As I have always said, the running is the easy bit and prizing open of the wallets is gruelling. And with the government doubling up the sponsorship, your hard work will really make a difference to all those people who really need help in parts of the world that we actually know nothing about. So same time next year then, and for now give your money bags a rest - but I will be back in 2013! P   Personally, I think we are really good at saying “Why me?” or “Why us?” We feel hard done by if we haven’t got something that someone else has – “Why haven’t I got that?” or “Why don’t my lottery numbers ever come up?” But compared to many in this world we don’t realise just how fortunate we are. Many countries on this planet desperately need clean water, demand fair trade, crave safety or are pleading for sustainability – that’s not too much to ask for is it? Why should we have it so good? This is the lottery no one wants to win. You can make a real difference to their plight if you just divert a miniscule amount of your everyday spend over to my appeal for CAFOD when I run the 2012 London Marathon. Just giving up one morning’s shop bought coffee can get me to the magic pledge amount. Or if you cannot bear the thought of losing the daily caffeine kick, then how about cycling, running or walking to/from work one day instead of taking the tube - and then give the fare saving to my appeal?! What about cutting out one bottle of wine over the week to come and it will make a massive dent into my goal. Or you could go with supermarket own brand teabags instead of the branded type, and hand me the difference! So let’s turn “Why us?” into “Why them?” It's easy for us to hand over a few quid but not easy for those countries to straighten their lives out. Together we can make a lifetime’s difference by making one tiny sacrifice to one small part of our normal day. And whatever you give, I will add 5% of my own money to the appeal - so I'm on the Pay as I Run tariff! Your money WILL make a difference to the many millions of people who need YOUR HELP in a world we are fortunately are not privy to. Why them, eh? I thank you in advance for your most generous efforts. And the UK Government is matching your donations to CAFOD's Lent 2012 Give It Up! Appeal - today and every day until 17 May, 2012. That means every pound you donate will be doubled. From 17 February to 17 May, 2012 your fundraising activities and donations will have double the impact. So this year, £33 could provide not just one, but two families with clean water There’s so much we need to do. One in eight people in the world still don’t have access to clean water. CAFOD is working to improve water access, sanitation and hygiene for some of the world's most vulnerable and neglected people, including those affected by war, climate change and disease. It is potentially lifesaving work, tackling cholera, helping girls attend school rather than having to fetch water and ensuring that children know about hygiene and waterborne diseases.  ************************************************************************************** The following is a snapshot of what CAFOD stand for. A more detailed understanding together with specific case studies can be gleaned from www.cafod.org.uk. CAFOD is the official Catholic aid agency for England and Wales. They work with partners in more than 40 countries across the world to bring hope, compassion and solidarity to poor communities, standing side by side with them to end poverty and injustice. They work with people of all faiths and none. With their 500 partners overseas and within the UK, they are working to reduce poverty in a safe, sustainable and peaceful world. Nobody wants to live on handouts. CAFOD work to ensure women and men in developing countries can make a decent living, access fair markets, and meet their own and their families’ needs long term. In particular CAFOD are: <ul> <li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">increasing access to clean water, education and healthcare.</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">ensuring the private sector adopts fair working practices that support people making a decent living.</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">empowering partners to change their communities through effective programmes and services.</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">lobbying the UK government and EU to reduce emissions, and provide sufficient resources for developing countries to respond to climate change. </li> </ul> CAFOD work with vulnerable communities before, during and after emergencies happen to: <ul> <li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">ensure they have the resources to survive, minimise and recover from the effects of emergencies and environmental threats.</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">working for peace and security in the communities they support to reduce the risk of violence, forced displacement or armed conflict.</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">lobby the UK and EU governments to prevent, respond and resolve conflicts and emergencies. </li> </ul> CAFOD challenge those with power to adopt policies that promote justice and end poverty

Why Me?

Why Me?

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