I won a place in the London Marathon through the ballot, which gives me free rein to choose which cause to support. I have chosen Bumblebees because of the difference that they have made for two of my closest friends, Jess and Charlie (Charlie and I have been friends since we were literally babies) and their daughter Cleo.

Cleo has a very rare undiagnosed condition. She has obstructed airways so she breathes through a tracheostomy and eats through a gastrostomy. She has a form of dwarfism so, although she is five, she weighs just 7kg and is only 70cm tall. She has hip dysplasia which has proven untreatable so far. As if that wasn’t enough, she has already been through thirteen general anaesthetics, many of which have seen her battling for her life.

But despite all of that, she is the most captivating, charming and funny person. And honestly, she has more grit than most of the people who will be running in London on the 26th.

Bumblebees provide a specialist centre for children who have difficulties with movement and co-ordination. Cleo started with them in May 2023, aged two and a half - unable to crawl, let alone stand or walk. Two years or so later, after massive amounts of dedication and encouragement from the Bumblebees team, working with Jess and Charlie, she took her first steps in the Bumblebees barn. Now she can’t be stopped. Jess says that Bumblebees are the reason that Cleo has the confidence and strength to move around independently.

Jess and Charlie have been through and given so much. They have amazed me time and time again, and then surpassed themselves. But even parents as strong as them need support from charities like Bumblebees. Any donation you can make will make more difference than you or I can ever know.

There is more information about Bumblebees here.