Hello there and welcome to my Just Giving page!

Hmm... where to begin with my story... 

Well, on 15th April 2018 I will be running the Brighton Marathon in support of the World Wildlife Fund ("WWF"). They are simply one of the most incredible charities, protecting animals and carrying out conservation work all over the world. 

As it is a charity which covers a lot of sectors, I have decided to raise money for a very specific part of their efforts. Fortunately, WWF are able to make the promise that money raised by individuals will go to a cause of their choice. They honour wishes of those who fundraise for them and I have chosen to give all the money donated to the safekeeping of African elephants. This means they will have more protection against poachers and will (hopefully) one day be able to live in a safe environment. 

I'm sure everyone has been made aware of the issues that these animals face. But if not, it's time to spread the word! Here are a couple of astonishing facts you can share:

Around 90% of African elephants have been wiped out in the past century – mainly due to the ivory trade. Elephant poaching, even though it’s illegal, has been getting dramatically worse in parts of Africa in the last 10 years – mostly because of growing demand for ivory in China and the Far East. Around 20,000 African elephants are being killed every year for their ivory - that's around 55 every day (WWF).

I feel immensely lucky to have engaged with one of these amazing creatures (not to  worry, it was in a sanctuary! I fed them about 50 bananas and they plodded off happily. Yay!). I remember being shell-shocked by their greatness. They are extremely intelligent, playful and very, very beautiful.

Every charity has a reason for its foundation and a good cause. Whilst I wish I could raise money for all of them, this is one that's particularly close to my heart and I would love it if a couple of minutes of your time were spared to donate.

Many of you reading this are my friends and family and I'd like to say how appreciative I am of the support that I've received so far from everyone. Each word of encouragement gives me that extra push... so keep it coming and thank you so much!

Jess x

Read more here: https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/african-elephant