When my friend asked me to run a marathon with him. This gave me the opportunity to do two things. One, to complete a lifelong goal. The other, to fulfil a promise to help fundraise for a fantastic charity, PIFTA, created by my friend, Jamie.

He founded this charity 10 years ago with his daughter after visiting The Gambia, West Africa and believing they could do something to help improve the lives of the people they met. PIFTA has been working hard since to help as many needy people as possible, including students and families. Their work is dedicated to funding and delivering various charitable services, and they strive to inspire and improve the lives of many.

They help as many needy people they come across. Such a small amount of money can truly influence and benefit someone's life in The Gambia. £30 pays for a whole year of schooling for a child, including stationary, equipment, exam fees and uniform. Many families can not afford this and their children simply do not get an education. £20 can feed a family for two months. These families have very little so even the tiniest of donations can make a big difference. 

I’m just as excited about the opportunity to help raise money to cover children’s educational fees in The Gambia, as the marathon itself. So please donate and help pay it forward to those in need. Please don't forget giftaid - PIFTA can receive an extra 25%! All donations go directly to the charity.

Thank you all :)

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.