Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

Six years ago I took part in The Great North Run and raised £3000 for Vision Aid Overseas. I think I was heard to say “never again” at the finish but one of the features of advancing years is failing memory! In a moment of madness I volunteered to take part in The Great Ethiopian Run in November.

The run takes place in Addis Ababa. It will be hot and the altitude is 7,500 feet. I understand that Haile Gebrselassie will be taking part though I don’t suppose I will see much of him during the event!

Since 2009 I have taken part in several VAO projects to a variety of sub Saharan countries and have seen at first hand the value of the work that we do. These projects are very demanding but also very rewarding. The people in the remote communities where we work do not have easy access to glasses and without them young children are often barred from going to school, adults are forced to stop working at a relatively young age and the elderly are unable to lead independent lives.

The money we raise has a direct impact on the quality of life of the people we help and provides opportunities for education and employment to people who would otherwise struggle.

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.