I am doing a Tough Mudder to raise money for the Royal Marines Charitable Trust Fund. It is the Corps' overarching charity, attempting to raise £6 million by 2014 to help those marines unfortunate enough to find themselves on:

1.  The 'recovery pathway' - those wounded in active service, in particular the most severely injured begin their transition into civilian life.

2.  The 'decompression pathway' - the marines still serving and facing serious danger on successive tours in high threat environments, who need support to come to terms with this.

3.  The 'through-life pathway' - the marines who have left the corps, but they will always be marines, and they will still require care and support.

4.  Lastly, and most sadly, but of unquantifiable importance, the grant paid within 48 hrs to the next-of-kin of those who don't make it to enable them to deal with their grief and not worry about the costs of putting someone to rest. 

www.rmctf.org.uk and www.toughmudder.co.uk for more info.

I am going to support the RMCTF by running the Tough Mudder challenge on the 12 May 2012 in Kettering, Northamptonshire.

It will probably be enjoyable.  I'd probably do it anyway just for the sheer bloody fun of it.  And let's face it, it will probably be easy compared to what I had to go through to get the right to call myself a marine in the first place.  However, it consists of a 10-12 mile long obstacle course (26 obstacles) in a muddy estate in Northamptonshire, on a course designed by Special Forces to test your all round strength, stamina, mental grit, and camaraderie. I will give it the big licks once I've done it, for now, I shall remain humble.

I will bleed, I will sweat, I will freeze, I will swear, I will fall over, I will help others, I will be helped, I will love it, I will hate it, but I will do it.  

But I need your help too.  I paid £90 just for the priviledge to participate in this event. Now I really need you to put your hands in your pocket, perhaps go without a paper one day, or have one less pint, fill your water bottle out of the tap, make your toothpaste tube go a little further, or whatever it is to be able to throw £1, £5, £10 whatever you can spare my way. I am trying to raise a modest £500. Every little helps.

I will love you forever - assuming I didn't already. 

Please donate now, don't just read it then go on to look at something random and forget about it.  The marines and their families this is going to help can't forget, but their situation can be eased. I, and they, thank you kindly. 

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.