On Sunday 27 April, I will be taking part in the London marathon with #Team Place2Be, in memory of my sister, Eleanor.

Place2Be is the UK's leading school-based mental health charity, providing support to children, families and school-based staff when they need it most.

Place2Be’s work is so crucial set against the background of the following facts:

• One in five children and young people now have a diagnosable mental health issue. That’s six children in every classroom with a condition like depression or anxiety.

• The suicide rate in England and Wales is at the highest level it has been since 1999.

• Suicide is the biggest killer of people under the age of 35.

Raising money for Place2Be by running a marathon is also very personally important to me as Eleanor had suffered with her mental health from her teenage years before tragically dying of suicide at the age of 24 in October 2023.

I spoke at Eleanor’s funeral and observed that Eleanor, like all of us, was several versions of a person, and some of those versions I didn’t know. One of those versions of Eleanor that I didn’t know until after her death was a runner. Running the marathon therefore felt an appropriate way to honour Eleanor's memory.

I also spoke about Eleanor’s adoration for my two young sons who were a major part of her life. I know that Eleanor would have wanted me to choose a charity that would be there to support children like my sons so that they could have access to the services that could have helped Eleanor in her adolescence.

Please help me support Place2Be’s vital work, and together we can make a real difference to children's mental health and ensure that children don’t have to face mental health problems alone.