My mum and I are taking part in the EMF Half Marathon this May in memory of my amazing uncle, Ian Hughes. This is a huge personal challenge for us both. I'd never even managed 5K until August last year but since then I’ve completed my first 10K (something I never thought I’d manage) and now I seem to have caught the running bug! My mum is also very new to running and at 30 years my senior is putting me to shame with how well she is doing!

We are hoping to raise as much as possible in memory of my Uncle for Ayr Housing Aid Centre; a charity that helps Ayrshire residents with various housing problems including homelessness. Many of you reading this who know us as Fifers might be wondering why this charity, am I right? Well, my uncle Ian was a truly amazing man and in the 80s was one of the founders of this charity which remained very close to his heart until he died in 2017.

We can’t think of a better way to honour and remember the incredible life of my Uncle and if we can, in some small way, help the Centre to continue its fantastic work then that would mean the world to us. Since the Centre opened in 1987 it has gone on to help over 20,000 people. That’s 20,000 people who were facing homelessness and had no where to turn but to Ayr Housing Centre. We have a massive problem with homelessness in the UK and centres like this need our support in order to continue to help some of the most vulnerable people in today’s society.

Please dig deep and donate what you afford. Our family, Ayr Housing Aid and the thousands of people they help each year will be eternally grateful.

This one’s for you Uncle Favourite <3