It's all George's fault but before going into that...

My wife started the charity 35 years ago after the personal tragedy of losing 3 babies.  Despite having no Government or regular funding, and with the support of such generous, loving, caring, warm, cute, cuddly (I could go on) people like you, the charity has made a real difference to the outcomes for Mothers and Babies all over the country.

I got involved with the charity 33 years ago when I met Judy and until then I had always thought that having a healthy baby whenever you wanted was something people just did and that was that.  How wrong!  The problems caused by premature birth or caused by complications at full term are as real today as they have ever been in the distant past.  We have better equipment and better trained staff but there are still too many problems.that can be avoided with better equipment and training.  As you know there's only so much money available to go round so we need to help charities like Baby Lifeline so parents can have that "best day of their lives" that they always expected.  When we had our kids I had expected it too, so I was grateful that when our children were born prematurely they had an incubator to go into - one supplied by the charity!  But the charity does so much more than just buy incubators.  It buys so much other equipment and also runs cutting edge training workshops and conferences for medical professionals.  But right now money is needed for equipment.  The charity recently wrote to all maternity hospitals in the country and the shopping bill it's had back comes to a staggering £5m - yes £5m! 

If you're still awake, the reason it's all George's fault is this.  I'll admit i had secretly been wanting to do a marathon for a long time.  Even though it's a long way to run it's just one of those bucket list items you have to do isn't it?   I'd been to London to watch the marathon and I'd seen older, fatter guys than me running over the line weeping and yes, I'll admit I wept along with them!  (I weep a lot these days. Age? Male menopause?).  So when the Gateley Birmingham Office nominated the charity as its charity of the year that was it, I was going to tick it off the list until Mrs L  told me "not to be so stupid Timothy (always "Timothy" when I'm in trouble), you're 58, out of condition and you'll probably die!"  So that was it. Dream gone and I asked George if he could recommend proper runners who could raise funds.  Instead he goaded me into doing it with him.  Now George is a younger, fitter man than me and he's even done something called "the iron man" so i decided I was going to try to emulate George.  Since when I've spent hundreds of pounds on the best watches, shoes, vests shorts and spandex pants that money can buy!  I even have a head torch for those dark nights down the local greenway so I can avoid running into the local dogging community (woof woof!)