Dear Friends,

I'm running the 2023 London marathon on Sunday 23rd April and I'm fundraising for Headway East London.

Headway East London are a small and brilliant Hackney-based charity for brain injury survivors, their families and carers. The area of their work that I'm fundraising for is the Submit to Love Studio, home to a group of artists living with brain injury, working across painting, drawing, collage, ceramics and more.

I love this quote from Submit to Love artist Affiong Day, which encapsulates the studio's drive, undertaking the act of making as an empowering and hopeful one:

“Losing your abilities takes away your identity, but it also takes away ego... I do art because I can, and because it’s something I don’t mind failing at... In art I can find a use for my mistakes”

With my close friend Iona Wills, who first connected me to Headway following her brain cancer diagnosis, I am aiming to raise £1000 to support the studio to purchase a sewing machine and other resources required to ensure the people attending Headway’s day service can continue working on creative projects.

Huge thanks if you supported my fundraiser for Headway East London last year. This year my efforts are bolder: taking up a 'good for age' place following my first marathon, I am aiming to get an "elite" qualifying time for my gender/ age of 3 hours 14 minutes (or less)!! 

Please add pressure to this serious challenge by donating, and support me, Iona, Headway East London and the Submit to Love artists! 

Anything you can give will be very gratefully received. 

Jessie


You can see the Submit to Love artists' work here: https://www.submittolovestudios.org/artists

or on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/submittolovestudios/

And you can find out more about Headway East London here: https://headwayeastlondon.org/

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