Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

 

As many of you know, our eldest son Seamus suffers from severe food allergies, which range from small reactions to food which make him itchy to very acute attacks which have lead to hospitalisation. He is one of the increasing number of food allergy sufferers in the UK, and more work is needed in this area both to research the causes of allergies and to help and support those who suffer from what can be a life-theatening problem.

 

Allergy UK is the operational name of the British Allergy Foundation. They are the leading national medical charity providing advice, information, and support to people with allergies, food intolerance, and chemical sensitivity. I am sure you will agree that they are a truly worthy cause.

 

Now, I have three loves in my life. My family, sports and lycra. I recently found a way of satisfying each of these things - triathlon. Well, it satisfies two at least. But anyway, perhaps out of wanting to challenge myself or perhaps out of sheer madness, I have decided to enter the Virgin Active London Triathlon. This is a very easy event. All you have to do is swim for a mile in the Docklands of London and then get on a bike and ride for a bit (just 25 miles). Easy. But that is not the end. That is just to get you to the start of a 10 kilometer (6.2 mile) run. Many have likened this to a marathon, others feel it is much harder as it involved training and competing in three technically-diverse events.

 

A good friend of mine suggested that the efforts I put in to train for this triathlon could go towards raising money for a worthy cause. Given our closeness to the issues surrounding allergies, I decided to raise funds for Allergy UK, to support the excellent work that they do. Please, support my efforts (I will be posting regular updates here and on Facebook as I train so you can see what I am going through) and the charity by giving as much as you can. Even small amounts go a long way, especially when the Government will add to that with the Gift Aid scheme. See below for details of the JustGiving and Gift Aid schemes.

 

Finally, most people who know me are aware that I am not a very competitive person..... However, you may recall that last year the famous TV celebrity Vernon Kay took part in the London Triathlon.  Not that I want to prove myself superior to a highly-talented, tall, handsome and follicularly-unchallenged young man like Vernon, but I plan not only to take part but also to beat his time (2 hours and 49 minutes), just to make sure that I have have a goal in mind to help me keep focussed and put in the hours.

 

Once again, thank you, be generous, and wish me luck!!!!

 

Cheers

 

Ian.

 

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 and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

So please dig deep and donate now.