In my role as a doctor for the South Gloucestershire Frailty Service, I witness first-hand the impact of long-term conditions such as dementia and heart failure on the lives of my patients. Social isolation, low mood and loss of independence are rife and this can lead to a spiral of decline, with increased risk of hospital admissions and permanent care home placements. Moreover, the strain on carers is immense.

Age UK provide a multitude of initiatives that enable older people to maintain their independence and well-being. These include advocacy services, dementia support, day centres, falls prevention, befriending as well as integrated care services which ensure a patients' health and social care needs are addressed holistically.

With a growing elderly population and cuts to social care, the work of Age UK really is invaluable. I am not a 'natural' runner and training for a marathon alongside work, family life and fund-raising is certainly going to be challenging! So please give whatever you can to help support Age UK - you never know when you might just need them......

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.