Holy crap, I've signed up to a marathon...

Yes, I'm going to run 26.2 miles in London this April. I do so in the knowledge that my height will apparently shrink by about 2 inches by the end of the race and that my face will turn a shade of beetrot red not yet discovered by scientists, and then stay like that for a week. I also risk some new painful injury to my leg in a year where, at times, my leg has seemed perilously close to just falling off.

But none of this matters because I am running to raise money for the National Deaf Children's Society (NDCS). NDCS is one of my favourite charities and is the national charity dedicated to creating a world without barriers for deaf children and young people. Many deaf children are born to hearing parents who know little about deafness or how to communicate effectively with a deaf person. Without the right support, many will struggle to develop educationally and risk becoming isolated, lacking in confidence and cut off from the world.

NDCS work to counter this and do lots of great things. They've given me a job for a start! (I'm the NDCS Campaigns Officer) But they also provide information to families of deaf children about all aspects of deafness so that deaf children can prosper and grow. They run lots of events for deaf children so they can counter feelings of isolation and get together with their deaf peers. And they lobby and campaign across the country to improve services to deaf children.

So... please dig deep and sponsor me! £1 a mile would be amazing and would give me an incentive not to do a Jade Goody and give up after a mile. But any donation would be hugely muchly super appreciated. I'll give anyone who wants one a special Noon hug to say thank you!

As justgiving.com would put it:

Donating through this site is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to sponsor me: The National Deaf Children's Society will receive your money faster and, if you are a UK taxpayer, an extra 28% in tax will be added to your gift at no cost to you.

So please sponsor me now! Not only will you help lots of deaf children but the NDCS will be able to pay my salary! You also get to laugh at me wearing the NDCS purple running vest (purple is so not my colour...).

Thank you loads for your support.

Ian