Imagine being told your child isn't going to grow up.

That's where Shooting Star Children's Hospices begins. They care for babies, children and young people with life-limiting conditions, children who aren't expected to reach adulthood, and they look after the whole family through it. From the day of diagnosis, through the hardest days any parent could ever face, and for years after a child has died.

They do it for free, every single day of the year. Specialist nurses and carers. Short breaks so exhausted parents can finally sleep. Care at home. Support for brothers and sisters who don't understand why everything has changed. And when the time comes, somewhere peaceful for a child to spend their final days, surrounded by the people who love them.

Here's the blunt bit: it costs £12 million a year to keep Shooting Star running, and less than a third of that comes from the government. The rest comes from people like you. If the donations stop, the care stops. It's that simple.

So on December 5th I'm running Winter on the Downs, a 50km ultra marathon in the heart of winter. I've never run one before. I've never even run a proper race. I have all the gear (see photo above) but genuinely no idea. It's going to hurt, and that's the point. Whatever I go through for one day is nothing compared to what these families live with every day.

There's a personal reason too. I want to show my children, Lily and Harry, that you don't give up when things get hard, and that you can set yourself something that feels impossible and go and do it.

These families don't get to choose what they're going through, but you really can make a difference to them. Please give generously, every donation goes towards care that families simply can't get anywhere else. And once you've donated, please, please share this page too!

Thank you.

Chris