I've always enjoyed walking in the countryside but last year I decided to try walking much further than I had ever done before in one day and completed the Walk Tonbridge Marathon. My grandson, Oliver, was there to greet me on the finish line. Since then he has expressed a keen interest in walking the marathon this year on 21st September. So, here I am, about to take on this challenge again at the age of 78 in the company of my amazing grandson, who is 67 years younger than me!

The Walk Tonbridge Marathon is an annual event that not only invites walkers to challenge themselves, but also raises money for the Sustain Food Bank, a Tonbridge-based charity, tackling food poverty in the local area. The route follows 26.2 challenging miles through the Kent countryside, finishing at the Old Fire Station in the centre of Tonbridge.

Oliver and I have decided to divide any money that we raise between our two chosen charities.

Oliver’s chosen charity is Nightwatch which is a homelessness charity based in Croydon. Nightwatch provides food, advice and other support to homeless and other vulnerable people. It helps people at every level of homelessness, from the street homeless to those in hostels and bed and breakfast accommodation as well as vulnerable former homeless people who need continuing support if they are not to become homeless again. Entirely volunteer-led, with no paid staff or office premises, every donation goes directly to those who need it most.

My chosen charity is the Sustain Food Bank, which is run by Tonbridge Baptist Church and provides an average of 85 emergency food parcels every week to people who were referred by front line care agencies. A family parcel costs £30 and an individual parcel costs £20 to put together. It costs around £1,500 each week to run and is entirely reliant on donations. All of the money raised from this page will be donated to Sustain.

Walking 26.2 miles will be tough, but it pales in comparison to the daily struggles faced by those without a safe place to call home or without enough money to put food on the table for their families. Any donation, big or small, will make a real difference in supporting the incredible work of these two charities.

Thanks in advance for your support.