On 17th April I'll be running the London Marathon in for Mencap, with the children of Christ Church Primary doing their bit by leaving their parents' cars at home and completing the 'School run' on 7th April.

A fantastic effort from the South Gloucestershire Headteachers and LA who are nearing the £500 with their donations alone - and a huge thank you to Charborough Road Primary staff who put in a staggering £150 themselves!

Mencap provide support, social activities and advice for children and adults with learning difficulties and their families. My brother-in-law, Richard, has benefitted from their support all his life and, since the banks spent all our money, Mencap needs your money more than ever.

So come on folks, I've got 3 months of pounding up and down the A38 for 3 hours each Sunday morning and getting cold and rained on several evenings a week (click here for proof) - so dig deep, I'm looking to raise a cool £1000 - which is quite a lot of money.