Like many others, I thought that during the various lockdowns of the last year I would find time to do all the 'odd jobs' I had been putting off, learn some new skills, and set (maybe even achieve) some personal goals - sadly, aside from completing several Netflix series, I have achieved almost none of these things and instead watched as my motivation and focus gradually morphed into my sofa cushions. So, with some gentle encouragement (aka persistent requests) from a friend who shall remain nameless - you know who you are! - I agreed to consider applying for the London Marathon. Several conversations about 'letting fate decide' later.....I was offered a place by the Sumatran Orangutan Society. While I know there are countless incredibly worthwhile causes I could have run for, this is one which I know I will give my all to and I could not be happier that I was offered a place to run on behalf of their charity. Any sponsorship or donation would mean the world to me and my little orange friends, even the smallest amount can make the biggest difference. 

Sumatran Orangutans - the furry cousins of those which I was lucky enough to volunteer with in Borneo in 2019 - are critically endangered and without urgent action, face being the first Great Ape species to become extinct. Deforestation is the greatest threat facing these beautiful creatures, with Indonesia having the highest rate of forest destruction in the world. The other threats facing Orangutans are agriculture, fire (used to clear land for growing crops), palm oil plantations and the illegal pet trade. 

SOS protects orangutans, their forest and their future by:

• supporting local people to improve their income at the same time as protecting the rainforest 

• rescuing orangutans and resolving conflicts between villages and orangutans 

• campaigning on issues threatening the survival of orangutans in the wild

• restoring damaged orangutan habitat through tree planting programmes - to date they have planted 2,292,253 trees and just £5 could pay for a tree seedling in Sumatra, pretty cool huh?!

For anyone who knows me, prior to starting my training the only races I had run were 100 meters in length and required me to run as fast as I could for about 14 seconds. There are over 42,000 meters in a marathon - WISH ME LUCK!!!! 

THE BIGGEST THANK YOU AND LOTS OF LOVE

Jen x x