On 28th September, I am running the Berlin Marathon with two friends from Durham University. Although it isn’t necessary to get sponsorship in order to gain a place (unlike for the London Marathon), I have decided to raise some money for charity in any case, especially as choosing a charity was a pretty easy decision for me.

For two years at school, my Friday afternoon Community Service was spent playing football with Gwil, a boy who has autism. Since leaving school, my friend Maz and I have kept in touch with him and his family, and meet up whenever possible during the holidays for a kickaround. Gwil is a great boy who absolutely loves his football. For those of you who don’t know about autism, it is estimated to touch the lives of over 500,000 families in the UK. It is a lifelong developmental disability that affects the way a person communicates and relates to people around them. People with autism have difficulties with everyday social interaction. Therefore, I have decided to donate any money I raise to The National Autistic Society.

It would be great if you could donate anything at all for such a worthwhile cause, and it would definitely help me get through the 26.2 miles!

Thank you,

Alex