Story
If you are here reading this page, thank you; your time and support already mean a lot. Your donation, of any size, will directly help families and individuals who are going through some of the toughest moments of their lives.
So what is happening? In 2026
I am taking on two marathons, Brighton and London, to support two charities that have been there when my family and friends needed them most: CALM and Home Start UK. Marathon one is Brighton; marathon two is London.
Brighton was home to a close friend of mine, and it was there that he lost his battle with his mental health. I am running Brighton in his memory, raising money for CALM, Campaign Against Living Miserably, a UK suicide prevention charity that is there every day for people who cannot see a way through, offering free, confidential helplines and webchat to anyone who is struggling with life. Your donation helps CALM pick up more calls, answer more chats and quite literally save lives.
Marathon two is the London Marathon for Home Start UK. In 2013 our dad died suddenly at 62 with no warning or illness; he went out to chop some wood and never woke up, falling asleep in front of the warm fire he had just built, exactly the kind of simple, homely moment he had created for us our whole lives. Dad was the glue in a big, complicated family and he spent his life putting other people first, including fostering, which is how we ended up as a tribe of seven boys and one girl. Two days after he died my sister found out she was pregnant, and before his funeral she was already facing early pregnancy complications; she then had an overwhelming, complex pregnancy carrying Caleb while trying to process losing Dad at the same time, with all of this landing on her shoulders at once.
Life does not fall apart neatly, and sometimes the glue that helps hold things together comes from places you do not expect. For my sister, that was Home Start. Home Start is a community network of trained volunteers who support families with young children at home, offering practical and emotional help so parents do not have to cope alone and children get the best possible start in life. Your support today helps Home Start to visit more homes, sit at more kitchen tables and stand alongside more parents who feel completely overwhelmed.
This is not a sad story; it is a celebration of life, resilience and the stubborn belief that things can change for the better. It is about finding a way to keep moving when life throws you sideways, and your donation today is part of that movement.
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Whatever you can give, big or small, will be put to work where it is needed most and will help carry all of us through the hard miles ahead. Thank you again for reading, for sharing and for donating if you can; your kindness will make a very real difference.