On 26^th April 2020, I will be running the London Marathon for P3 (People Potential Possibilities). This is a charity whose mission is to improve lives and communities by delivering services for socially excluded and vulnerable people to unlock their potential and open up new possibilities. 

As some of you know, I have been running in various events for a few years, and my target has been to reach ten marathons before I am forty and this will be achieved in London 2020. However, I know I will have very mixed emotions. My wonderful brother, Tom, supported me when I ran my first marathon in London in 2005, but this time I will be running in memory of him as he tragically lost his battle with depression in July 2019. We miss him so much and I don’t think anything will ever make the pain go away but I hope by raising money and support for P3, there will be some positive consequence of something truly awful. 

I spent a long time thinking about a charity that I would like to fundraise for in memory of Tom. He loved his music, so I did think about music therapy – I like to picture Tom drumming, (often very loudly when I was trying to revise for exams!) improvising on the piano, handing me his latest mixed tape/CD. He was also very fond of animals and I remember him showing great interest in the RSPCA stand which was advertising by the park one day and enjoying looking at the animals at Pittville Park with the girls. I wish he had had the opportunity to have a pet as I think this would have brought him great comfort and company.  He also dearly loved his nieces, Phoebe, Daisy, and Gwyn. Daisy’s response when we had to break the news to her was ‘but who will play in the park with us now when we go to Cheltenham?’ I know Tom would hate to see them upset and hurt and so I did think about a charity that supports families who have been bereaved. But in the end, I decided to choose the P3 centre based in Cheltenham. They had given support to Tom and I know he had made a good friend with Marcus, one of the members of staff, who would spend time with Tom listening to music, something I know would have given Tom some happiness. ‘One of these things’ by Nick Drake was one of the pieces of music we played at Tom’s funeral, do listen to it if you get a chance.    

P3 is a community based charity with the vision that every person has the opportunity to be a full and valued member of a society where social exclusion and isolation no longer exist. Whilst there can be no more help for Tom, I hope that with your help we can raise money to help others out there who are experiencing difficulties and may be feeling vulnerable.

Thank you so much for your support.