Thank you for visiting my JustGiving page.

Helping people achieve their potential and experience personal fulfilment is core to who I am, and I have the great pleasure to be able to do this everyday of my life working with people such as yourselves; people who have accomplished outstanding achievements and are continuingly aiming to reach their Next Level. At the same time I am keenly aware that there are many people whom I do not get to work with, who struggle with profound difficulties just to do many of the things you and I take for granted: reading a book, hearing wonderful music, even saying their name or telling their families that they love them.

The people that the charity Sense cares for are in this position. Deprived of what is so natural to us, the most basic abilities to hear AND see, they live in a sensory deprived world, locked in silence and darkness with only their sense of touch and smell to navigate the world. Yet everyday, despite the constant barriers they face, these people are using all of what they do have, to the best of their ability to transcend this darkness and stillness, and engage with the world in startling ways. With the help of their loved ones and the amazing staff at Sense they go to their next level every day, day-by-day!

Together with my two sons Garreth and Marcus, I am running in the London Marathon this year (not something I usually do) with the aim of raising as much money as I can for Sense, and with your help the money I will raise will pay for;

£1,500:Many families describe the stress and isolation of bringing up a child with special needs. Our Family Days bring together around 100 family members, deafblind people, staff and volunteers to share experiences, gain strength from each other and have a break.

£1,000:Supports the cost of a specialised development assessment for a deafblind child; essential in establishing what the child’s learning and communication abilities are.

£700:Sends a deafblind child on a dream holiday. Sense is delighted to be able to send about 140 deafblind children and adults on a week-long holiday every year. These holidays not only provide life-changing experiences, full of fun, learning and special care but they also give carers and family members a well earned break allowing them to spend more quality time with other children and family

£250:Kits out a home with sensory ‘trails’ enabling the deafblind residents to identify specific rooms, stairs etc enabling them to live in a safe, secure environment.

£50:Helps to pay for a deafblind child’s vital first assessment.

£25:Buys an interactive light tube to help stimulate a deafblind child’s remaining sight.

£8:Allows for an hour’s sailing trip for a deafblind child to feel the wind on their face on their Sense holiday.

This will most certainly be an adventure, a challenge I have set for myself. My physically fit twenty-something sons may be dragging their xx !! year old father around the course; however I am confident my superior mental strength will see me cross the finishing line first! Mind over matter…or am I just kidding myself?

I would be so very grateful if you would be willing to help me with this cause, Sense is the leading charity that supports and campaigns for children and adults that are deaf/blind and they provide expert advice and information as well as specialist services to deafblind people, and this is why I want to help them in any way I can.  Donating through my JustGiving page http://www.justgiving.com/Laurence-Udell is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to sponsor me: Sense will receive your money faster and, if you are a taxpayer, an extra 28% in tax will be added to your gift at no cost to you.

For me this is a challenge I am choosing to face and one which will last only a day, but for those I’m supporting, they have no choice and their challenges last a life time!

Many many thanks for your support.

Kindest regards,