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Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.
I’m delighted to be running the London Marathon in April 2026, and I’m very excited to be supporting the Green Hub Project for Teens, a Surrey based Charity that really needs our support to continue thriving, growing and delivering some fantastic support for 10-18 year olds facing social, emotional and mental health challenges.
As most of you know I’ve been running and participating in endurance sports for over 10 years now; I always said that in lieu of not achieving ‘good for age’ status for London (which is really tough!) and applying unsuccessfully for the ballot for 10 years, I would eventually love to run to support a local charity. Fortunately I was recently introduced to the Green Hub and have visited them to see their great work; helping young people get out into nature and be active. They have asked me to run for them to raise critical funds.
As you know I don’t like to make things easy for myself. The big part of this challenge for me is that I’ll be taking part in the Boston Marathon 6 days before London - back-to-back marathons is no easy task, particularly for a man of my mature years. So, I will be calling on friends, family and some great resources to get me through both race days in one piece.
Why sponsor The Green Hub?
Green Hub is a local community charity based just outside of Guildford supporting teens (10-18) in Waverley, Surrey and NE Hampshire, who are facing social, emotional & mental health challenges. The charity offers ‘social therapeutic horticulture’; the young people come along to the Green Teens programme for a couple of hours each week for 12 weeks, working in one of the local Green Hub gardens, whatever the weather.
In the last few years there has been a dramatic rise in hospital admissions of teenagers struggling with anxiety, suicidal thoughts, serious self-harm, anorexia and much more.
1 in 8 have diagnosable mental health disorder
1 in 6 (16-24) show symptoms such as depression or anxiety
50% mental health problems manifest by age 14
And 75% by age 24
It is clear that this problem is not going away and is damaging more and more of our children’s lives and in some tragic cases destroying them. The NHS mental health services for teenagers and children, despite being staffed by wonderful, committed people, simply can’t keep up – they are overwhelmed. The waiting lists for help are months long, leaving struggling teenagers and their desperately worried parents with no where to go.
Green Hub’s purpose is to achieve positive, measurable outcomes for teen mental wellbeing: developing confidence & resilience through social interaction and inclusion, access to nature, active lifestyles and the 5 ways to wellbeing.
Please help me to help The Green Hub raise £3000 (hopefully more!) to further expand the reach of their services.
Don’t forget that for UK tax payers Gift Aid adds a further 20% to your donation, please tick that box if it applies to you.
Thanks in advance for any donations you can make, it will make a real difference to a teenager’s wellbeing.