Matt and I are going to have a go at running the Edinburgh marathon this year. I'll be 60, Matt'll be 40. It seemed the best birthday present we could give ourselves.

Neither Matt or I are religious people but I was humbled by the care and dedication that Bethany Christian Trust gave to my late brother-in-law, Simon, and the support their people were going to give my late wife, Sam. Their help and support to me has also been humbling during the darkest of times.

I will forever be amazed and grateful for this organisation's existence and for the wonderful, beautiful people that work for them. I admire what they do in ways that I don't know how to express.

So I figured the least I could do was try to get through the pain barrier and run 26 miles. It won't be easy for a 60-year old - and Matt has assured me that it's not going to be easy for a 40-year old either! So, please, we'd really appreciate anything you can do by way of a donation to support us. And, goodness me, we need all the support we can get!

Thanks so much for your support - we'll do our very best to not let you, or the people at Bethany, down.