Thank you for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page for the Disneyland Paris half marathon. 

I am (hopefully) running 13.1 miles through Disneyland Paris in September 2016 in order to raise money for a very worthy cause, Dogs for Good.  This is the first half marathon at Disneyland Paris and will be my first half marathon!  

When I started training I could not even manage a mile, but what better way to become motivated than to know you will be helping a fantastic charity carry out more work and make such a difference to so many people?

If dogs and Disney can't get me motivated, nothing will!

I am running on behalf of the Charity Dogs For Good, this is an incredible charity, yet many people are unaware of the amazing work they do.

Initially I chose Dogs for Good because they are able to train 'balance dogs' for people suffering with Multiple Sclerosis. This is a cause very close to my heart, and if dogs can provide more independence for people suffering from MS then that is nothing but fantastic.

The charity was originally set up in order to help disabled people by training assistance dogs and became a registered charity in 1988 as 'Dogs for the Disabled'. For many people, this name used to reflect only one view of disability and a limited image of how dogs can help people, and the name changed to 'Dogs for Good' in October last year - focusing on all the good that can be achieved by bringing people and dogs together.

Dogs for Good provide assistance dogs that support both adults and children with a range of disabilities, giving them greater independence. As well as providing independence, they build confidence and offer unconditional love, becoming a friend who is always there for them.  Assistance dogs can help with a range of tasks such as: opening/closing doors, helping with dressing/undressing, retrieving dropped items - such as mobile phones/keys/bags, loading/emptying washers/dryers, reaching up to shop counters to pay for items and pressing the pedestrian crossing button.

As well as assisting those with physical disabilities, Dogs for Good also train dogs to assist both children and adults with autism, giving them independence, providing a safe environment and making them feel more secure.  A fully trained autism assistance dog can help change people's behaviour by: introducing routines, reducing 'bolting' behaviour, interrupting repetitive behaviour and helping people cope with unfamiliar surroundings.  Dogs for Good also provide workshops and support to explore how a pet dog can help families with a child with autism.

Those people with a specially trained dog are able to take them to public places such as supermarkets, enabling families to do simple things such as shopping which they may not have been able to do before.

Dogs for Good train dogs who visit schools to bring benefits to students with special educational needs, providing many benefits such as: greater enjoyment of being at school and an eagerness to learn, provide a better understanding of taking responsibility, increased engagement in learning and willingness to participate in activities and also give them greater confidence on school trips outside of the school. 

As well as all of the above, Dogs for Good also train dogs to work with people suffering from Dementia, multiple sclerosis, children with acquired brain injury and the elderly, encouraging them to socialise and exercise.

So as you can see, Dogs for Good carry out some amazing work and make a massive difference to so many people's lives.

Please make a donation if you can, big or small, to bring more people and dogs together!

Thank you so much! ☺