Hi! I've decided it's time to put away the chocolate bar, get my running shoes even muddier and do my first ever half marathon: The Great North Run on 15th September 2013 (followed by the Robin Hood Half Marathon two weeks later - eek)!

This is a big challenge for me and Chantal; our only recent running experience involved a night-time 10k obstacle course in Sherwood Forest. This is race is much, MUCH bigger! I will keep you updated on my training as I go through, and of course provide embarrassing pictures from smaller races!

I have chosen to support Cancer Research UK for many reasons close to my heart. It is something that I've seen affect people I care about, and something I've seen treated. I know that money donated to this charity does something. When we invest in research it pays off: we can fight cancer. Its researched has DOUBLED survival rates in the last forty years. Their ambition is to cure cancer, and one day this vision will be true.

Cancer Research UK funds half of the UKs cancer research, and yet is entirely supported by the public! To get an idea of what your money helps with, here's a list below:

£10 could buy enough glass slides for a scientist to examine 300 tumour samples down a microscope

£30 could buy around 250 special sterile dishes to grow the cells in and keep them healthy, helping answer fundamental research questions that could lead to the breakthrough discoveries of tomorrow

£40 could buy a key textbook to ensure our Cancer Information Nurses never stop learning. That way they can answer as many questions as possible that people have about cancer. 

£50 could buy around 50 thermometers – indispensable for many experiments that need to be performed at very precise temperatures.

£94 could cover the cost for one woman to take part in a clinical trial aiming to improve survival for post-menopausal women with early-stage breast cancer.

£120 could fund a trained counsellor to facilitate the nurses’ monthly clinical supervision meeting. Our experienced cancer information nurses provide a confidential service for anyone with concerns about cancer. This will develop their skills in dealing with calls and help them cope with the emotional impact of the experiences they hear. 

£260 could buy a sophisticated microarray, a powerful piece of technology, helping scientists to scrutinise thousands of genes in a single experiment, and identify which are switched on in cancer.

£677 could cover the cost of one person taking part in a clinical trial testing chemotherapy before and after surgery, and the antibody drug Vectibix, to improve survival for bowel cancer patients.

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

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. So it’s the most efficient way to donate – saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

So please dig deep and donate now.