I am surprised to find myself approaching my 60th birthday. As a gesture of defiance, I aim to complete the Meon Valley Half Marathon on Sunday 5th Nov, a cross country 'jaunt' up and around Winchester Hill.  Ouch.  But as my arthritic mother would say, "Whilst you've still got it, use it!".  Quite so.

Hence I have chosen to do this for a charity close to my heart and my professional interest, a charity for people who often haven't 'still got it'. Improvised explosive devices are now 'the weapon of choice for terrorists with no choice'. Disposing of these and other explosive hazards is a dangerous and growing challenge. Over the last year, there have been approximately 7500 recorded deaths attributed to IEDs globally; and there are in the region of 2500 call outs for explosive hazards dealt with by teams in the UK each year.  Getting it wrong has life-changing or -ending consequences; even getting it right takes its toll, especially over time.  The Felix Fund (to quote its website) "is here to help any military or SO15 (police) personnel who have conducted or assisted with Explosive Ordnance Disposal and search duties". It "provides welfare support and financial assistance" to operators and their families.

As Chairman of Optima, the world's leaders in explosive hazard threat mitigation, I am conscious of the demands we place on these operators and their families.  We owe them a huge debt of gratitude.