In October, I will be participating in a charity half marathon walk in the UK with Colleagues across Group Technology in Barclays to raise funds for Maggie's Centres.

I have chosen this charity because my friend and former Barclays manager Matt Paterson and his family have benefitted from the services Maggie's provides. It’s truly an honor to dedicate this walk to Matt—he is one of the greatest people I’ve ever known. At work, Matt was always the calm to my storm—a steady presence in every whirlwind moment.

Matt was diagnosed with rare form of cancer last year. Since his diagnosis, the Paterson family has found support from Maggie's Centre in Southampton. Matt described Maggie's to me as a place of calm and normalcy in a world where everything has been turned upside down. They have listened, cared, stood by their side and helped make sense of things that were simply unfathomable.

Maggie’s offers free practical, psychological and financial support to people with cancer and their families and friends. They deliver over 350,000 sessions of support each year. The centres provide a calm and friendly place where people with cancer can find the hope, determination and resources they need to cope with one of the toughest challenges any of us is likely to have to face.

Thank you in advance for your contribution & support!