Hi all!

I've recently decided to run the Manchester Marathon on the 19th April and thought this could be a great opportunity to try and raise some money for a great charity, The British Red Cross.

It's often overwhelming seeing the ongoing hardships that many people are facing worldwide from conflict, flooding and food shortages, whether it be in Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan or even here in the UK and NZ, so I'm extremely grateful for the ongoing work of the Red Cross and their team of awesome volunteers.

This really hit home recently when I saw there were Red Cross Volunteers providing aid and setting up an evacuation centre in Tauranga in the aftermath of the recent land slips around Mauao and Welcome Bay, and highlighted the truly global reach of their support network.

A lot of people have run marathons before, so to try and get you your moneys worth, anyone who donates £10/$20 or more can select a haircut that will be added to a lottery of which I'll draw one prior to race day, just add it to the notes section when your making the donation (please keep in mind that I am a bit follically challenged). I reckon that's a pretty good deal for the same price as 1.5 pints. I'll also match all donations 10:1, so if we raise £500, I'll put in £50 and so on. If I get over my target of £500, then some extra challenges will come in, but more about that later...

I'll be posting updates about how my training is going along the way and the progress towards my goal.

Thanks!