I will be running the Great North Run on September 20th to raise funds for the Library and Archives of the British Institute of Florence.  The Library and Archives are hugely important to the British Institute's mission to promote Anglo-Italian cultural relations---the Library has one of the largest English-language collections in Italy, the Archives are consulted by researchers from around the world, and there is an imaginative cultural programme that is open to all. Yet they have to work within a limited budget, which leaves little for conserving damaged books and documents, purchasing necessary but expensive reference works, and promoting the use of the collections through a programme of lectures, films, reading, and music. (For more information see the Library, Archive and Events sections of the Institute's website: http://www.britishinstitute.it.)

I hope to raise to enough to support the purchase of books like The Grove Encyclopedia of Northern Renaissance Art and to help with specific conservation projects in the Archives, such as the conservation and transcription of the author Susan Horner's mid-nineteenth-century journals.

Incidentally, this half-marathon will be the farthest I have ever run, and I almost invariably get a migraine after running more than about five miles, so it really will be a big effort.

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 and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate---I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.