It's been two years since I ran my London marathon, and I wasn't expecting to do another one, but the situation in the world right now is very challenging, with withdrawal of so much humanitarian aid, major ongoing conflicts and displacement of many people. People are suffering greatly as a consequence and charities working to deliver help are also hit badly by loss of funding.

The situation in Myanmar, whilst out of the media spotlight remains desperate, with ongoing conflict, a breakdown in the education system, and hundreds of thousands of educators doing their best to deliver education outside of the military run and broken state education system. Millions of youth are struggling to find routes forward for their lives both in terms of education and work opportunities. In many cases they are now displaced or migrated to neighboring countries such as Thailand, and facing very uncertain futures.

Prospect Burma is a great charity that for years has supported Myanmar youth through the crises the country has faced. It has provided much needed scholarships for study abroad and for online courses, and in this way it is helping develop vital skills needed for people to address poverty, health crises and bring peace and prosperity back to the country.

Since last year I have been privileged to join the Board of Trustees of Prospect Burma, so I understand the challenges the charity is facing, with thousands of applicants and limited funds. They do great work, and for this reason I have put back on my running shoes and decided one more time to take on the challenge of a marathon and related fundraiser, and all being well will be running in Paris on April 13th.

The challenge of training through the cold winter months has been tough and does not get easier with age, but I am doing this to highlight the desperate situation in Myanmar and the continuing need for support for charities that have lost a lot of funding in recent months, and the impact of this on education and health services has been massive.

Your donations will be hugely appreciated and will go towards supporting scholarships and related costs for visas, books, transport out of the country and tuition.