Hi Folks,

So, as many of you know, I'm about to run my first ever marathon. The thought of this fills me with terror, I have to admit.  But when I signed up for this race some months ago, I had no intention of seeking any sponsorship. It was simply something I wanted to do for me and for me alone, just to see if I could.

But over recent weeks, the media reports of the plight of thousands and thousands of desperate refugees from the Middle East have grown increasingly distressing, until yesterday's photographs of little Aylan lying on the beach hammered home once and for all the abject lack of humanity.

I spent time today trawling the Internet, looking for ways to help. What can I do? Where's my nearest aid collection point? How many blanket squares can I knit? Until it suddenly dawned on me:

I'm running a marathon. 

So here it is, my rather last minute, ad hoc, slightly clumsy sponsorship page. It seems a bit odd. It wasn't planned. It all feels a bit back-to-front. Is it wrong to suddenly start asking people for money? 

Perhaps it would be wrong for me to not use this opportunity... 

My moral dilemmas re. last-minute sponsorship aside, I have decided to make my own donation to Syria Relief. If you feel that you can spare a few pennies too that would be amazing. They do incredible work providing clothes, food and medical supplies to those in desperate need in Syria, and they really need support. 

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

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.