I am running the London Marathon in 2026, and this will be my first marathon distance race! Whilst I do this, I wanted to raise money for a good cause.

The first charity which came to mind was my local scout group, the 9th North Watford Scouts.

Scouting gave me many opportunities and developed skills of all sorts as a child, young adult and adult volunteer (both practical skills like lighting fires and pitching tents, to leadership and collaboration, as well as resilience) and - most importantly - the confidence to be myself.

As a child, the Scouts supported me in being myself, and this continued even further as an adult volunteer when I came out as a gay man. I know that by following the principles I learned as a Scout, I can leave the world a little bit better than I found it. Especially for young people discovering who they truly are.

The 9th North Watford Scouts have supported so many young people over its nearly 120 years, from all sorts of backgrounds and who have grown up to be so many different things and some who, without Scouting, would undoubtedly not have achieved so much. They need support to continue to provide this essential service for another 100+ years as they look to rebuild their HQ to provide the best opportunities for young people.