In 2024, after many months of feeling exhausted and unwell, our dear daughter Jess was diagnosed with ME/CFS. Having struggled on for a while she was forced to give up her job and unable at times to leave her flat for several days. Fortunately Jess is affected quite mildly and is slowly improving but her CFS still debilitates her and prevents her from leading the full and active life enjoyed by most people in their twenties.

As a result of Jess’s experience I have learned much about ME/CFS - a largely invisible, complex condition which affects over 400,000 people in the UK but is hugely misunderstood, often stigmatised, and has no effective treatment or cure. I have learned about the lack of awareness even among medical professionals, the paucity of funding for research, the cost to the economy due to sufferers’ inability to work and the heart-breaking stories of those severely affected who remain bed bound for years.

That’s why I’m fundraising for Action For ME - the only charity in the UK providing support to people of all ages affected by ME/CFS. That’s why I’ve signed up to the 25K loop of the Chiltern Ultra 50 Challenge, and am asking you to donate whatever you can to help improve the lives of those with ME/CFS today and secure much needed, positive change for the future.