I will be running the Great Manchester Run half marathon on May 22nd as part of the University of Manchester’s Purple Wave.

I ran a half marathon last year and it was honestly horrible. I managed to trudge to the end, down to my last functioning knee, in around 1hr50 (Salute to all marathon runners, I don’t know how you do it). The challenge this year is to beat that time with my knees intact.

The event also takes place the day after my birthday, so I’ll need to strongly hold back on any sort of boozy celebration (cry me a river!)

With this in mind, I’ve given myself the motivation of raising funds for the brilliant Re-Write Cancer, a campaign to build a world-leading cancer research centre in Manchester. 

We all know someone whose life has been changed by cancer, which is why researchers in Manchester are working hard to improve how cancer is treated and help more patients with cancer get back to normal life. 

This is where we can help. Working in partnership with Europe's largest cancer hospital, The Christie, and Cancer Research UK, The University of Manchester is building a world-leading cancer research centre. 

The new centre will bring together one of the largest concentrations of doctors, nurses and researchers in Europe all working together to tackle cancer head-on.

Construction for the centre, just up the road from me in Withington, suffered a major setback in 2017 when the building was destroyed in a fire.

Fortunately, construction is back underway and this year’s Purple Wave has set the target of £10,000 to help complete the building and get it ready to welcome senior cancer scientists.

I’d love to contribute as much as possible to this, so please consider donating any amount to the justgiving page below. Thank you!

Learn more about how the University is re-writing cancer here: www.manchester.ac.uk/cancerappeal. Thank you for your support!