Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

I'm running the adidas Manchester Marathon 2026 and have been training so hard for the last four months. I know. It's wild for an old bird.

I wasn't going to fundraise for a charity because I know how skint people are. However, last year I visited the Colne Open Door Centre and was blown away by their work.

Pendle in Lancashire is a beautiful place to live and home to some fantastic people and fabulous independent businesses. Sadly, it has some of the highest child poverty rates in the UK.

Like many northern areas, loss of industry and limited new opportunities is slowing down growth, which is heightened by poor transport links and weak connectivity. There is also a lot of poor housing stock, with many large families living in smaller homes.

Colne Open Door Centre is a non judgemental community hub, which helps people in so many ways. Whether that's offering personal debt advice, giving mental health support or free counselling. There's a foodbank where people can pop down and fill their cupboards in private. There's a toy centre for children.

They even throw birthday parties, with cakes, presents and games for parents struggling to make their child's day special.

Many people just come in for a discounted brew and meal, where they can chat to friends and make new ones.

It's a place where people can go to when they've fallen on hard times without embarrassment and is often where people first ask for help.

I know people are struggling right now, so I completely understand if you can't afford to donate. However, if you'd like to, I know the team and clients would be so grateful.

Now I just need to run the bloody thing.

Thank you,

Anna xxx

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.