So I'm running the London Marathon again... but this time for our new Ukranian friends, Nadiia & Vlad.

Nadiia (the mumiya) & Vlad have been living with us since March, having fled the Ukraine in the first few days of the war, following cruise missile strikes on their local town & airport. When we first met them at the airport in the UK they looked totally shocked yet relieved, with nothing but a single piece of hand luggage.

To add to their troubles, Vlad (4 yrs) survived meningitis shortly before the war, leaving him with 80% hearing loss which has dramatically affected his development, especially his speech.

Since they arrived in the UK the support from the NHS has been incredible, he has been fast-tracked through every test & scan possible, and has now been fitted with state-of-the-art hearing aids. As a result, his speech has started to come on fast, meaning is able to start at a the local school. He may even be eligible for a cochlear implant which would be a game changer...

We absolutely love having them here, and we want to continue to support their new lives in the UK, but they have some real challenges ahead.

I somehow managed to get another ballot place for the race (1 in 27 chance apparently, so what's that twice in a row?), anyhow, when I found out was a bit of a shock as I was not sure if I could face doing it again. This will be my third attempt at the London Marathon... having hit the wall every time, I am still yet to achieve my target time of under 3hrs 30mins. Feeling less prepared than last time I'm sure it's going to hurt more, but with your support, I will grit my teeth and push on! 😬

They have nothing, so any kind of financial package we can raise would go towards giving them the basics that we all take for granted in the hope that they can remain safe, healthy & happy in their new life in the UK.

We would be so grateful for any donations no matter how small (or big).

Tom, B, George, Wilf, Arthur, Emma, Nadiia & Vlad