Hi all! 

Despite having never run an organised race before, and despite weighing approximately the same amount as a baby elephant, on the 29th of March I will be taking part in the London Landmarks Half Marathon on behalf of The Giving Tree Foundation - Turning Autism Around, with the aim of raising a minimum of £250 for the charity.

The Giving Tree Foundation (TGTF) is a small charity founded in 2014 and operating in London and Birmingham. Its primary aim is to raise awareness, understanding and support for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The charity's core belief is that with early intervention and the application of intensive Applied Behavioural Analysis (ABA), children with ASD have the opportunity to reach their full learning potential.

Unfortunately, ABA is not currently available through the NHS and in order for a child to receive the recommended intensive treatment it costs approximately £47,000.00 per annum per child. As such, TGTF works toward awarding ABA bursaries to children and families in need for one year. The aim of each bursary is to provide evidence that ABA works for the child; once the bursary year has been completed, parents have a higher chance of receiving funding for further treatment through Local Authorities, whilst simultaneously being trained enough to provide ABA for their children during any period of waiting for further funding.

In addition to awarding bursaries, TGTF works toward organising support groups in which people affected by ASD can share in a safe environment and receive guidance and answers to questions from others going through similar difficulties.

I signed up for this with only seven weeks to go until the race, sincerely thinking that that would be enough time to prepare to run the whole thing, That was probably a very silly notion that will cause me a great deal of pain. Please lend your support to this great charity and together we can ensure that some good can come out of my poor decision-making for once.

Thanks!