Eeeeek! So the girl who at the age of 7 was mysteriously sick every Wednesday afternoon, which coincided with PE lessons, has signed up to a half marathon!

That's not the only way I've changed... I can thank Sweatbox- the local Youth Club- for bringing me out of my shell. The opportunity to hang out with friends, and meet new ones, was a welcome one in a small town like Wantage.
Not only was it parent free (important when you're a teenager!), but it was the cool place to be- bands would come down from all over the country to play, and some have even become fairly famous. Anyone who met Gary Kingett, who was the youth worker at the time, owe him a lot for how fun he made it, how kind he was and how supportive he was- however trivial the problem.

Wantage needs Sweatbox more than ever- sadly a number of King Alfred's students have committed suicide in the past couple of years. Looking back to our teenage lives, we can remember how much of a struggle it can be, and if having a safe place to go, with the opportunity to talk things through with a trained youth worker, as well as making fun memories with your friends, can help in any way then we must fight for it to remain.

This year is especially important to support the Sweatbox. Developments of the town has meant that the previous site of the club- adjoined to the school- has been knocked down, and hence it currently does not have a permanent site.

I know that with this fitness trend, completing half marathons are not rare. But that does not mean I haven't found the training incredibly hard and time consuming. Please make it all worth it and help me raise as much money as I can to help fund a new location.

Thank you,

Laura