Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

Alice was a wonderful person and a close friend of mine when I moved to Newcastle for University in 2012. She was a huge part of the reason I fell in love with the city and I cannot imagine how dull life would have been without having her there. Dancing on our crazy nights out, travelling together to our fencing team matches and generally having the best time together, those memories have even greater significance for me now. 

Tragically, Alice was brutally murdered by her ex-boyfriend in Gateshead on 12 October 2016, aged just 24. His controlling behaviour during their brief relationship had developed afterwards into a relentless campaign of stalking.

The Trust was set up in her memory to raise awareness of stalking (including coercive control), to ensure that relevant legislation is effective and adhered to, and to bring about lasting improvements in the management of perpetrators and the protection of victims.

The Trust aims to prevent what happened to Alice happening to others, by:

- raising awareness of coercive control and stalking and their dangers;
- working to ensure that stalking offences result in immediate action both to protect the victim and to deal effectively with the perpetrator;
- providing education and training;
- campaigning for improved legal measures; and
- supporting relevant research.

The long-term goal is to equip a generation with the confidence to recognise coercive control and stalking, and a criminal justice system and support services that have a thorough understanding of the issues involved. We need to empower stalking victims to seek help much sooner, and to build a society that reacts in the right way when they do.

You can read about all the fantastic work the Trust is doing and all the brilliant resources and packages that are available by checking out the website at: https://www.alicerugglestrust.org/ 

Running the Great North Run 2022 feels cathartic and full circle for me. Having moved back to the Toon in 2021, it feels like the perfect homage to such a special person, to participate in such a famous half marathon, in my favourite city. I would be so grateful if you could donate anything towards this cause, to help contribute to the work of the Trust and work towards ONCE AND FOR ALL putting an end to stalking.

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. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

Thank you in advance and I hope you will be able to come cheer me on at the finish line in September!