My friend Maria co-runs The Ripple Effect, a charity which takes aid to refugees around Europe. For the last three years, whilst I’ve been sat at my desk tapping, she has been one of three friends gathering aid in the North West, finding warehouse space to store it, arranging transport to shift it, loading it up, waving it off, flying ahead of it and being there at the other end to meet it, unload it, find further warehouse space to store it in and then oversee the distribution of it to the most needy in the area - displaced refugees from all over the world but predominantly Syria, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, Iraq and Africa. They’ve been involved in 12 convoys, the need for which, even if not so much in the news so much, increases rather than decreases. Last year for the first time, rather than just load aid up and wave it off, Maria herself drove a 7.5 tonne truck across France, Germany, Austria, Romania, Bulgaria into Greece, and back, to help the displaced. All voluntarily, all time consuming and all unquestioningly without fuss or show for other people who need it. No way I’m doing that, so I’m running instead to raise money for their next trip. I reckon for me to run a half marathon will take 21,500 steps. If I raise 10p per step it will raise just over a couple of grand to buy toiletries, clothing, socks and underwear for those that don’t have them. Those that know me know half marathons don’t come easy to these ol’ bones, but it’s not about me. Any help and support anyone can give would be gratefully received.