Some of my favourite memories with my two sons are from doing the Mini Great North Runs together when they were younger. So when I spotted the Hogman-Howay 5K, there was really only one sensible thing to do…

Sign all three of us up before telling them.

They know now. Whether they’ve forgiven me is another matter.

We’ll be taking on the Hogman-Howay 5K together, and I wanted us to use it to do something worthwhile at the same time.

I’ve chosen to raise money for Billy’s Lifeline, a South Shields charity supporting families and loved ones affected by suicide loss. The charity was created in memory of Billy Knott and provides practical, emotional and therapeutic support to people going through one of the hardest experiences imaginable.

After a suicide, families can be left dealing with grief, unanswered questions and not knowing where to turn. Billy’s Lifeline is there to help people through that, while also working to break down the stigma surrounding suicide and suicide bereavement.

There’s also a personal connection for me. South Shields RFC, the club I play for, has partnered with Billy’s Lifeline, so choosing them for our fundraising felt like a no-brainer.

They are a local charity helping local people, and every pound raised can help them continue that work.

Doing this with my boys makes it even more important to me. We’ve done runs together before, but this time they’ll know that every step they take is helping somebody else.

When we cross that finish line, being able to tell them how much they helped raise for Billy’s Lifeline and what they’ve achieved together will make them absolutely over the moon.

So whether you can spare £1, £5, £10 or simply share our page, it all helps.

Three of us. One 5K. One brilliant local cause.

And two boys who have now learned that when Dad says, “I’ve signed us up for something”, they should probably ask questions first.