As you know Layla is a very poorly young girl from the Rhondda. As many of you know, Layla is a very poorly young girl from the Rhondda. With Christmas being a time of giving, love, and compassion, I’ve decided to take on a challenge to help raise money for Layla and her family. Every penny raised will go directly to them, to use however they need, in the hope of making Christmas feel even a little lighter during such a dark and difficult time.

Having been a sick child myself — and having met many children facing similar battles during my own return visits to hospital — this cause is incredibly close to my heart. I’ve set the fundraising goal fairly low, knowing that many of you may have already donated to the other fundraiser running at the moment, but I’m hopeful that together we can still make a difference. Please, if you can, dig deep.

The challenge is inspired by Santa’s journey. According to the NORAD Santa Tracker, it takes Santa 13 hours to reach Wales — from 8am GMT to 9pm GMT. So on Saturday, 20th December, I’ll be running, walking, and possibly even crawling for the full 13 hours.

I’m hoping some of my running friends will join me along the way, and anyone is welcome to get involved. Whether you want to run the whole thing, walk a mile, pop by to show support, or simply share the fundraiser, it will all be appreciated.