Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

I have been fortunate enough to gain entry to London Marathon 2017: an opportunity that isn't open to many people. Although it is not a charity place, I have decided to raise money for an important cause: The Trussell Trust.

The Trussell Trust has a network of 400 food banks across the UK and also offers services such as money advice and fuel banks in an attempt to break the cycle of poverty.

Most people are aware of the existence of food banks, there are special drop-offs in most major supermarkets nowadays, but many of us do not appreciate the sheer scale of the UK's food crisis.

I have followed the journalist and activist Jack Monroe on social media for a couple of years (read 'Hunger Hurts' if you haven't already) but it was Ken Loach's 'I, Daniel Blake' that really hammered home the brutal honesty of living on benefits and the work of DWP.

'Between April and September 2016, Trussell Trust foodbanks across the UK distributed 519,342 three day emergency food supplies to people in crisis compared to 506,369 during the same period last year. 188,584 of these went to children.

Benefit delays and changes have been the biggest reasons for foodbank use, accounting for forty-four per cent of referrals to Trussell Trust foodbanks (27.4 per cent benefit delay; 16.6 per cent benefit changes). In response the charity is calling for a hotline to each foodbank’s local Job Centre Plus.

Low income was the second largest cause of a crisis, accounting for nearly one in four of all referrals to Trussell Trust foodbanks, driven by problems such as low pay, insecure work or rising costs.'

Over half a million emergency food parcels were needed in a six month period just for families to survive. 13 million people in the UK live below the poverty line and cannot even afford to eat. It is inconceivable that a basic human right, such as access to affordable food, is not available in 2016.

Please donate anything you can to this cause. If you need more 'food' for thought, access the links below. Thank you.

'Hunger Hurts' by Jack Monroe: https://cookingonabootstrap.com/2012/07/30/hunger-hurts/

'Time to make a difference': https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=ueew8giHXM4

'End the Fit for Work tests petition': https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/170364

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.