Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

Firts, a big thankyou to everyone who supported me for the Cambridge half-marathon which I ran on 8th March. Now a bit on my story ...

Now that I am retired and have some more time, I want to contribute through fundraising and voluntary work to something I feel is important.

I have decided to support Best Beginnings, a UK-based charity dedicated to ensuring that ‘all children, regardless of income or background, have the best start in life.’ Their work is informed by well-established research evidence showing that ‘A strong start will lay the foundation for maximising a child's future life chances by supporting the development of good mental, physical and emotional well-being.’

Best Beginnings, which works closely with the NHS, seeks to ‘empower parents with the knowledge and confidence to look after their own health, and their children's long-term development and well-being.’ One of their main products has been the award-winning 'Baby Buddy' app. Here is what one parent said about it: 

"I don't know how I would have done it without this app - through pregnancy & the first few months. Definitely hope they bring out an app for older babies as it has been so great. So supportive better than any book or friend. Supplied me with facts & reassured me at times. 6/5 stars from me. Thank you so much to who ever took part in the making of the app. I love it & will/have recommended it to all my friends." 

You can read more about Best Beginnings' aims and activities through the web link at the top of this page (the Best Beginnings logo). 

So why am I supporting this charity? Well, my reasons arise from the experience of lifelong mental health issues in the family I grew up in, including post-natal depression and the far-reaching consequences of that. For my family this went unrecognised and untreated; for too many young parents and their children this is, sadly, still very much the case. Best Beginnings helps to prevent these problems by supporting parents through those critical early years.
 
For my fundraising, I am starting with a few organised runs and bike ride events including two half-marathons in 2020. I did the Cambridge half-marathon on 8th March (£350 raised), and have entered for the Chester half-marathon which takes place on 17th May 2020 . 

Meanwhile, I’ll be planning some more challenging cycling and hiking adventures linked to the issues I want to help with.

This page will be updated with events that you can donate to, and with ideas for my future activities. All of the money you donate will go to Best
Beginnings.

Please feel free to contact me on nigelbruce16@outlook.com

Thanks very much!

Nigel

A note on donating through JustGiving: This 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.