Hello, my name is Leo.

I am 19-years-old and I am raising money for a place that helps me a lot, Derian House Children’s Hospice.

On April 3 this year I was supposed to be walking my mum down the aisle to marry my step-dad Scott.

I was looking forward to the wedding so much and am disappointed that we’ll have to wait until October to do it now.

The last couple of months have been really hard for me and my family. I have a condition called Williams Syndrome, which means I’ve not been able to leave the house since the start of the Coronavirus. I can’t go to college, to the shops, or even go out for exercise.

I can’t even visit one of my favourite places, Derian House, where I go to hang out with my friends and take part in lots of fun activities.

One thing I have been doing is walking on my treadmill at home.

And that’s why I’ve had the idea that instead of walking my mum down the aisle, I’ll walk the whole of the British Isles!

My condition, which affects about one in every 20,000 people born in the UK, means I have some extraordinary gifts – I’m very friendly, funny and am brilliant at playing the drums.

But it’s also given me some unique challenges – I have health problems with my heart and kidneys and I have had more than 50 operations since I was born.

This means I’m going to need a little bit of help from my friends if I’m going to complete my challenge of walking 1,175 miles to cover the British Isles* and raise £1,175 for Derian House Children’s Hospice. I can’t do it on my own.

I’m asking my friends that for every mile they walk, they donate £1 and I take it off my total.

Will you help me?

Cushty!

Leo J

*I’ve worked out my miles as Land’s End to John O’Groats, Banba’s Crown in Northern Ireland to Brow Head in Republic of Ireland and the North to South of Isle of Man just for good measure!