Our Half Marathon Challenge 2025

Hello!

For 2025, myself and my partner Jonny, have taken on the challenge of running the Royal Parks Half Marathon on 12th October! We only started running late last year so this will be a big challenge for us, but one we are really excited about!

We have decided to raise money for Alcohol Change UK, who are an amazing UK charity supporting those with alcohol addiction and dependency, whilst promoting a culture that is not anti-alcohol, but where alcohol consumption becomes a conscious decision, rather than by default.

In 2013 when I was 17, I sadly lost my dad to alcoholism and was one of many children in the UK who grow up with a parent struggling with addiction and alcohol dependency. It is often something that goes unseen and viewed as a taboo topic, but for a child growing up with a parent with alcohol dependency, it is extremely challenging; feeling helpless and not sure where to turn for support. My Dad was amazing, funny and smart, but unfortunately lost his battle to addiction at the age of 57.

I never knew of the support available for me or my Dad, especially charities like Alcohol Change, so if this can change one person's experience of living with alcohol dependency or that of a family member, it's one step in the right direction.

It is estimated over 200,000 children in the UK live with a parent who is alcohol dependant and last year there were over 1.3 million alcohol-related hospital admissions, costing the NHS an estimated £3.5 billion each year. We want to help change this and spread awareness of the impact and effects of alcohol abuse.

We have decided to run the Royal Parks Half Marathon in memory of my lovely Dad (Andy), but also support Alcohol Change UK who do a fantastic job raising awareness of alcohol consumption and what this means for all of us, as well as supporting those with alcohol addiction and dependency.

Being more aware that drinking alcohol should be a conscious choice rather than by default is something that is close to my heart and a message I feel strongly about sharing, so felt like the perfect charity to support for this event. I have been an advocate for changing the narrative around alcohol choice and the stigma surrounded by choosing not to drink when you don't want to; often viewed as unsociable or boring, but we know this is starting to change!

If you are able to spare any money to sponsor us, it would be greatly appreciated and will help us stay motivated over the coming months as we prepare and start our training...!

Thank you,

Jo and Jonny

About Alcohol Change UK

Alcohol is a part of many of our lives. We use it for celebration, for comfort, to socialise, to wind down, to cope. We treat it differently to other drugs; it’s legal, socially acceptable, even encouraged.

Yet in the UK one person every hour dies as a result of alcohol. Alcohol harm – mental health problems, liver disease, one of seven forms of cancer, economic difficulties, and so much more – can affect any one of us, from any walk of life.

The harm doesn’t end with the individual; each of us who drinks too much is part of a family and a community who feel the effects too, whether through frequent use of emergency services, drink driving, violence or neglect.

We are Alcohol Change UK. We work for a society that is free from the harm caused by alcohol.

We are not anti-alcohol; we are for alcohol change. We are for a future in which people drink as a conscious choice, not a default; where the issues which lead to alcohol problems – like poverty, mental health issues, homelessness – are addressed; where those of us who drink too much, and our loved ones, have access to high-quality support whenever we need it, without shame or stigma.

The problem is complex, and so the solutions aren’t simple. But we’re ambitious. Driven by our belief that every person deserves to live a full life free from alcohol harm, we create evidence-driven change by working towards five key changes: improved knowledge, better policies and regulation, shifted cultural norms, improved drinking behaviours, and more and better support and treatment.

Your donations can help by:

* £20 could support around 20 people reduce their drinking through the Dry January® challenge.

* £30 could help us develop and deliver more training for front line workers and improve support for dependent drinkers.

* £40 could cover the costs of supporting 16 people for six months to reduce their drinking through our Try Dry® app.