Hello! You look lovely today, but could you do something even lovelier and help provide shelter to those escaping domestic violence?

Did you know 1 in 4 women will experience domestic violence at some point in their lives and over 100 are killed every year in the UK by their partner or former partner?

Refuge help women and children escape from acting as prisoners in their own home and rebuilds their lives by providing safe shelter, but demand always outstrips supply and many vulnerable people who are desperate for their support are turned away. Last year the donkey sanctuary in Devon received more funding from donations than Refuge.

So this is where I come in. I've supported Refuge for a couple of years now and when they asked me to run the Royal Park's half marathon for them I said yes! However, a half marathon seems a bit pansy-ish compared to heroic feats of charity fundraising others have done recently, so I've upped the ante by signing up to two more half marathons a few days either side and setting myself a 5 hour time limit to complete the entire 40 miles, something I can tell you I'm currently nowhere near set to achieve. :>

So friends, please give whatever you can afford - every penny helps. Once you've done it, give yourself a big pat on the back knowing that a woman or child somewhere will be safe thanks to your donation!

To encourage some donations, I'll add in £1 of my own money for every minute I'm over my 5hr run target if I meet the fundraising target. Therefore, the more you donate, the harder I have to train/run and the greater the likelihood you can chuckle at me having to carry a walking stick everywhere I go.

Thanks everyone, means a lot. :)

Ruru. Xx