Thank you for taking the time to click on my link!!!!

Come the 3rd of March, I will be undertaking an intrepid voyage through the vast cityscape of Cambridge in its annual half marathon - covering nearly every corner from its sumptuous city centre to the misty marshlands of Granchester village (and back)! Considering I began training only two weeks ago, I am aiming to achieve not only a feat of stamina, but one of sheer bodily destruction. Believe me when I say that I will leave nothing on the road but blood, sweat and tears.

It goes without saying that Samaritans is a cornerstone of emotional support in the UK, maintaining a 24/7 helpline dedicated to providing an empathetic and non-judgemental ear to anybody experiencing emotional distress. Though its primary vision is for fewer people to pass away by suicide, the breadth and depth of conversations that it handles leads to its service being so much more than that, often the only place that people can feel truly heard in times of suffering. The Samaritans helpline responded to 3 million calls in 2022.

Cambridge Samaritans is my local branch of the trust - run as an entirely independent charity, that has to take care of itself financially. This very second Samaritans in Cambridge will be taking phone calls from anywhere in the country, providing a nationwide service from a tightly-knit community of volunteers. The branch also runs face-to-face appointments alongside outreach work in prisons and schools.

With all this good work in mind, I thought it would be thoroughly appropriate to attempt to raise some funds! If you would be so kind as to donate whatever you feel you would like, I will be thinking of you on the day as I wreck my calves.

What is most important though is that whatever situation you find yourself in, if you are ever in need of emotional support then Samaritans is always available - 116 123