I am going to be putting myself through the challenge of running the Robin Hood half marathon in September 2018; my first ever half marathon which absolutely terrifies me!!

As part of this, I am aiming to raise money for First Step charity in Leicester, who specifically support male survivors of sexual abuse. They have essentially saved the life of one of my best friends, who experienced sexual abuse as a child and has only just gained the strength to try and share his story more than 20 years later.

First Step have enabled him to realise that he doesn't have to be afraid of asking for help anymore. They have given him the confidence to not only speak out and come to terms with his own daily battles (including subsequential anxiety and PTSD), but also to raise significant awareness and support others who have also sadly been through similar experiences.

First Step have extremely limited funding, to the point that they may no longer be able to remain open. It is imperative that they are able to continue providing the incredible service that they offer, so that other male survivors can be saved too.

There is unfortunately still such a stigma attached to male mental health and we need places like First Step to help other men understand that talking about their experiences is ok, it's not anything to be embarrassed about and it certainly does not make them 'weak'.

Help me give something back to First Step, so I can show them how grateful I am that my friend is now thankfully on a long but positive journey of recovery ahead. Let's get our men talking about these issues and get them well on their road to recovery as well.

Save First Step and potentially save more lives!