From Newcastle to Rome… apparently one half marathon wasn’t enough of a challenge.

Following a short training run in Newcastle on 13 September (!), I’m now gearing up to run the Rome Half Marathon on 18 October.

I’m running in support of Right to Resist (R2R), a charity established to help vulnerable people protect themselves and each other from abuse and assault.

R2R has developed an innovative app called VigilAuntie, which is available free from the app stores following its launch at Newcastle University last year.

For anyone who feels vulnerable when out and about — particularly women and girls travelling home, or enjoying a night out — VigilAuntie provides a simple way to get help and gather evidence if something goes wrong.

With a single touch, the app can:

- Stream video live and securely record it in the cloud, where it cannot be deleted.

- Alert up to five nominated friends or family members by text, with links to the video, location and other information.

- Provide an immediate means of alerting your “tribe” that you may need help.

- Create a record that may provide valuable evidence if an incident needs to be reported.

If you are minded to support my questionable decision to voluntarily run 13.1 miles around Rome, you can do so via Just Giving or there is a donate button on the VigilAuntie website.

I would be hugely grateful for any support. I’m covering my own ticket, travel and expenses, so every donation goes directly to the charity (and you can choose not to pay the platform fees if you wish).

Knowing that people have sponsored me may provide just the incentive I need for those last couple of miles — when good judgement, like my legs, may have completely deserted me.

Thank you for your support.

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.