Hello! It's still scary to say it, but I'm running the London Marathon in 2017. Having said it out loud, I can't back out now, but the good thing is I'm doing it for a very, very good cause: Help & Care.

Help & Care is a charity based in Dorset, which helps elderly and vulnerable people in Southern England live as independently as possible, and improve their quality of life by offering a helping hand whenever they need it.

Living in Dorset myself, I wanted to run for a cause that makes a tangible difference to local people, particularly the elderly.

My family is fortunate in that we're able to support each other: we live in close proximity to my Grandmother, and are able to ensure that she is never isolated and left struggling to make appointments or manage her day to day activities. 

Not everyone is so lucky.

For a multitude of reasons people are left to struggle on their own and often forced to make the difficult decision to give up their independence, their home and their relationships in order to get the care they need. 

That's where Help & Care – and your donations – can help.

Your donations will enable Help & Care volunteers to assist people in many different ways, such as:

• Telephone befriending, which helps combat loneliness;
• Driving people to essential appointments with their GPs or at hospital and staying with them;
• Helping with shopping, finance and administrative tasks. 

Basically, they help people across Dorset and the South live the life they want, whatever that entails. Help & Care is the friend anyone can rely on.

So, in the spirit of aid and assistance, help me run those 26.219 miles by giving whatever you can for a fantastic cause. 

Now more than ever it is essential we support the people in our local communities live the lives they choose. Thank you for your donation!

I will upload photos and videos of the training to this page, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Feel free to follow me on this journey if you wish!

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

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.