A year ago I had never run more than 2 miles; in less than a month I am attempting 26.2 through Budapest with my friends Adam Shuman and Zoe Bond. I am raising money for The Tingewick Society, our medical school charity. Every year, Tingewick raises money for 2 chosen charities by running events throughout the year, culminating in a pantomime at the end of November. Last year Tingewick raised around £25k and the current firm are hoping to at least emulate this! This year our chosen charities are The Against Malaria Foundation (AMF) and The International Rescue Committee (IRC).

The Against Malaria Foundation is widely recognised as the most effective charity in the world. AMF distributes long lasting insecticide treated bed nets in Sub-Saharan Africa to those most in need. Each net costs roughly £2 including all distribution costs and protects 2 people for 2 years. It is a charity backed by extensive evidence and has been the top-rated charity by independent charity evaluator Give Well for the past 5 years. They have so far distributed 35m nets and their impact is not just limited to preventing malaria. Each pound donated provides an estimated £12 of growth for that country’s GDP.

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) offers both emergency aid and long-term assistance to refugees and those displaced by these events, supporting the health, safety, education, economic empowerment and rights of displaced people. From aiding Syrians in their homeland and as refugees abroad, to civilians affected by conflict in South Sudan, the charity has a global impact in over 40 countries.