Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page in support of my London Marathon run for The Art Room.

I moved to London at the very end of last year to take a new job working in the social venture capital space focusing on Africa, Asia and Latin America. This is not too far from the kind of work I have been doing my whole life – working to combat poverty and make an impact in faraway places (many of which I have lived in).  One of the great things about being in the UK is a chance to reconnect with wonderful family who introduced me to The Art Room- an organization they have supported from its very early days.

For someone like me who has worked on programs in schools in Bangladesh, India, Ghana and Nigeria to name just a few – I know how reaching children in need through great school-based programs can be a life changer – for the kids themselves, for their families and communities.  The Art Room and the amazing people who lead and run it inspired me to not forget that it is just as important to help those in need close to home.  The Art Room offers art as therapy to increase self-esteem, self-confidence and independence to children aged  5 - 16 year olds who are experiencing emotional and behavioural difficulties. There are nine Art Rooms in schools in Oxfordshire, London and Edinburgh.  I could not be more proud to support The Art Room.

A little bit more about me; I ran my first marathon in Stockholm last June.  It was something I never thought I would do or could do and it started with early morning and late evening runs along beautiful and sometimes snowy paths in Geneva. At first trying to keep up with my amazing dog and eventually reaching a point where she wouldn’t be willing to run far enough.

Running the Stockholm marathon was one of the best experiences imaginable and shockingly left me determined to make this an annual event.  Running the London marathon became a dream but I never really believed I would get the chance – and here it is!

One more thing – everyone says ‘if I can run a marathon anyone can’, but I can honestly tell you this is true – not only did I never plan on running a marathon I didn’t even correctly understand the distant!  It is a grueling, painful, seemingly endless experience and I can’t wait to do it again. 

To all those who join me in supporting The Art Room – an enormous THANK YOU and to my fellow runners – I can’t wait to see you all at the finish line!

Now for some details:

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.