This April, I'll be running the Manchester Marathon for Samaritans, a massively important charity doing work extremely close to my heart. (Trigger warning, suicide).

I've struggled with my mental health for most of my adult life and teenage years. I so often find myself looking back and comparing my life then to how it is now. I've been backed and carried by the most incredible support system, helping me grow from a broken little girl to a strong woman.

Sadly, not everyone is as fortunate as me, to have the wonderful people I have had to lean on. In 2023, 6,069 suicides were registered in England and Wales, the highest rate since 1999.

I also know the pain the loss through suicide leaves behind. I have lost two friends who took their own lives, and I know far too many precious people who have struggled with suicidal thoughts.

Samaritans are on hand to answer calls for help 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Every 10 seconds, someone who is struggling to cope calls for help. Sometimes, just one conversation is all it takes to keep someone here on earth.

This April, I am running for me, for Ben and Ayden, for the too many the world has tragically lost, for those who fought and are still fighting their battles, and for the person on the end of the phone every 10 seconds who desperately needs to see a glimmer of the light at the end of the tunnel.

Thank you so much for helping me play a tiny part in providing help for those who are struggling. Let's smash these 26 miles, shall we?