How do you like to spend your winter evenings? Perhaps curled up on the sofa by the fire, with a good book and a  decent glass of red? Or in a cozy nook of your local, enjoying a pie and a pint? Me too! 

Unfortunately, in a moment of weakness, I agreed some months ago to run the London Marathon for our nominated office charity, Baby Lifeline. I now spend my winter nights in solitary misery, clad in ill-fitting lycra, plodding along the wet streets of Coventry in the dark for hours at a time. Worse yet, I haven't had a pint in weeks! Why would I do this to myself?

Well...

Baby Lifeline is a truly terrific cause. The charity specialises in providing support to pregnant women and their unborn or new-born babies. They do this by providing training, equipment and support to neo-natal  and maternity units, to help survival rates for premature births and ensure the best possible outcome for mother and baby.

http://babylifeline.org.uk/home/about-us/

It is a small charity that is close to our hearts as a business, since it was founded by my fellow partner (and virgin marathon runner) Tim "The Legend" Ledger and his wife Judy (the real legend), after they suffered the personal tragedy of losing three children at birth. Having determined to turn a negative into a positive, they established the charity to help improve the neo-natal care available to new mothers and provide much needed equipment to maternity units. 

Baby Lifeline has already raised over £9M to help provide vital equipment and training for maternity units up and down the country but the mortality rate amongst newborns in the UK is still frighteningly high - even today, 1 in 133 babies are still-born, or die within 7 days of birth. 

There is still a desperate need to provide specialist equipment and training and with your generous support, Baby Lifeline can continue their important work, to help improve outcomes for mother and baby.

I am proud to support BabyLifeline and consider being given the opportunity to run the Marathon in support is a privilege. Please give generously, so my suffering is not in vain!

 Thank you in advance for your generosity

Dan