Thank you for visiting my fundraising page.  As you can see, I am running in the London Marathon on 23 April 2006.  I wanted to help children, and through a small charity where any funds raised would directly and visibly help the children, not be swallowed up in administration.  Therefore, I am delighted to be running for "Over The Wall" as their only Marathon runner this year.

Until a couple of years ago I had never run more than a few yards, so the thought of running over 26 miles is quite daunting.  Training hard over the last few freezing months has not always been fun but I have enjoyed every minute of the challenge and the thrill of seeing just how far you can push  your  body.   In  short,  I   have  the  running  bug in a big way and feel a whole lot better  for it - but none of this would be worthwhile if I were not doing it to help others.

"Over the Wall" is a fantastic charity dedicated to providing much needed free holidays for children with serious or terminal illnesses with all the support and special medical infrastructure that they need.  OTW is the only organizer in the UK of residential camps modelled on the camps in America founded by Paul Newman, where children and young people from 8 to 16 can have one glorious week of fun, making friends, meeting new challenges, but most of all the precious gift of just being a kid amongst others, not a kid who is sick.

Children living with serious illness have been in and out of hospitals, away from school, facing frightening treatments and living with uncertainty.  The OTW camp gives them an opportunity to feel normal.  They get to hang out with other children who are all at different stages of their illness so they don't have to explain the bald heads, crutches, scars, eye-patches, weight gain or any other effect of taking lots of medication.

OTW also provides a well-needed break for parents.  Apart from the emotional stress of having a sick child parents also face many financial and logistical problems.  Knowing they can send their child to an OTW camp is a huge relief.

Even though the camps are run entirely by volunteers, doctors and nurses who give their time free, it all costs money to run a camp.  Premises (usually boarding schools) need to be hired, food, medication, equipment and so on.  This year OTW will be providing holidays for around 300 children at an overall cost of approximately £300,000.

All this has to come from donations so every bit helps, however small.

To read more about the amazing work of this small charity please view their website www.otw.org.uk.

"Over The Wall" may be a small charity but I have been thoroughly impressed with the professionalism and selfless dedication of everyone involved in it.  I have always thought how lucky my children are to have wonderful holidays and it makes me all the more determined to help these children who have so many challenges to face in their everyday lives.

Every year 1,500 children are diagnosed with cancer in the UK.  Just £1,000 will give one of these children a week of tremendous happiness with others who really understand, in a safe and a caring environment.  As one parent has said, "The doctors cure their bodies but you (Over The Wall) mend their spirit and boost their self-confidence".

I hope you feel that this is a worthwhile cause and I look forward to hearing from you.

Many thanks and best regards.

Chris