For reasons we are still unsure of, we've decided to run the Amsterdam Marathon in 3 weeks (October 21). Despite a few injuries and a less than ideal training schedule, we are hoping to use the opportunity to raise money for two charities:

Building for the Future is a parent led charity providing activities, support and therapy for children with disabilities and/or additional needs and their families. We've decided to raise funds for this charity as they have been providing tremendous support to parents and young children in their area, where a good friend of ours is directly involved, and would really benefit greatly from the donations. Here's a link to their website for more info: http://www.bftf.org.uk/

The second charity is a Go Volunteer project at our university called N.E.S.T (North East Solidarity and Teaching) which started 2 years ago in light of the refugee crisis in 2016. N.E.S.T supports over 50 refugees and asylum seekers (adults, children, and everyone in between) every week through the provision of English classes and various activities which promote community integration and reduce social isolation such as healthcare workshops, cooking classes, and lots more to ease transition into life in the UK. Having personally taught at these English classes, we have seen first-hand the impact this organisation has on helping newcomers settle in the UK. You can find more information here: https://n-e-s-t.org/ and you can see some of their work here: https://youtu.be/L5q7fBxbz8Y.

[Note: It says Newcastle University but funds will be going directly to N.E.S.T]

We would really appreciate any support (every pound counts!) to help us reach our goal (and the finish line).

Thanks for reading!