I am at heart, a lazy sod. Despite appearances, there is a largely unhealthy, overweight, sloth-like inner me that miraculously has never managed to break free. My idea of exercise was to stand on one leg, indoors, on a mat. However, in a moment of complete comedy madness a couple of months ago, I eagerly, and with some naivety, signed up to do a half marathon. For charidee, mate. Which is where you come in. Will you consider sponsoring me, on behalf of an excellent charity? For transparency, I like the charity so much I am also now on the Board of Trustees.

In October, I’ll be running the Royal Parks Half Marathon for Clowns Without Borders (CWB) to help bring more laughter and moments of lightness into the lives of refugee children across the globe. Well-funded NGO’s, such as Oxfam, Unicef and Save the Children, go in as first responders when disaster hits, to address the immediate needs of shelter, health and food. Once these have been established., CWB are now becoming an integral part of the second wave. As such, we desperately need additional funds to continue. Their work is critically important – so much more than simply making young people laugh and smile again. The effects of trauma, largely resulting from having to flee their homes and the hostilities experienced on their journeys, often hits children the hardest. Amidst this chaos, Clowns Without Borders shares performances and playful workshops as a way to offer every child a chance to laugh and to experience something positive at the very worst of times. The children and young people often start to make sense of their histories through the work by the clowns through their own contribution to the performance process, giving them the space and safety to express themselves.

Big NGO's describe this work as "psyco-social first- aid" because of the vital emotional release it creates. For Clowns Without Borders, the aim is simply to remind children it’s OK to be a child, to play and to have fun. It is not just clowns simply messing around, and yet in its simplest terms, that’s exactly what it is.

Please sponsor me, and them.

https://www.clownswithoutborders.org.uk

https://www.facebook.com/clownswithoutborders