I appreciate that we are all currently going through stressful times of our own and are often very busy on new years eve so I thank you first for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

In July I will be taking part in the Yorkshire Challenge 100km Ultra Marathon in aid of St. Andrew's Hospice in Grimsby along with my brother and a couple of our friends. I have decided to do this to raise money for St. Andrew's Hospice in Grimsby who cared for my dad, David Mann, as he battled kidney cancer. 

He was a loving man with a passion for football, formula 1 and snooker. Old family friends often regale me with their memories of time spent with my dad, it never fails to amaze me the impact he had on so many around him with the joy and warmth he brought to everybody, including myself. He was the greatest dad I could have wished for and I live every day to make him proud.

My dad sadly passed in the care of St. Andrew's on the 31st of December 2007 after bravely fighting his illness for a long time. The work of St. Andrew's didn't stop after my dad passed though as they invited me and other children my age (9 at the time) to the children's hospice for a support group set up for children who had lost family members. I have vivid but fond memories of the therapy groups we attended and believe the work they did had a long lasting effect as the grieving process has continued through my life. The support they provided my family as well as many families of my hometown of Grimsby is of utmost importance to me and so I wanted to give something back to them so that they can keep providing for others and as a thank you to all the workers there.

"To live in the hearts we leave behind is not to die" - Thomas Campbell