This May, I am taking on the Hackney Half Marathon for Furnishing Futures - an incredible charity that transforms empty social housing into fully furnished homes for women and children escaping domestic abuse.

As many of you know, I've never been a long-distance runner. But the work this charity does inspires me so deeply that I barely hesitated before deciding to get off the sofa and run farther than I ever thought I could, especially at my age!

Across the UK, many survivors are rehoused with nothing: no flooring, no beds, no curtains, no basic furniture and none of the essentials that make a home feel safe. Furnishing Futures steps in to change that. Using as-new items donated by the interiors industry that would otherwise end up in landfill, they create warm, healing, beautifully designed homes that allow women and children to rebuild their lives with dignity. I’ve included a few photos in the gallery page so you can see the incredible transformations they create.

I’m aiming to raise £2100, enough to cover the essential items for 7 families who are starting again.

To give you an idea of what your donation could help provide:

£50 – a wellbeing kit for a woman beginning again

£100 – Baby & Children’s Bundle

£150 – Kitchen Essentials Bundle

£300 – Full Home Bundle

Please consider sponsoring me – every penny will help create a safe, comfortable, healing home for a family who truly needs it.