I've been thinking for years that at some point I'd love to attempt a marathon, but never actually got close to giving it a go. However, the fact I've also been wanting to do a fundraiser for the charity I work for, The Recruitment Junction, has got me to the point of signing up and now here we are, 6 months of long training later!

We are small charity based in Newcastle who place men and women with past convictions into paid work. Since launching 3.5 years ago, we've placed 569 people into work.

The more I do this role, the more I see what a job can mean to a man or woman who is leaving prison or struggling with the barrier of a past conviction. It means purpose, self-esteem, and a means to provide for their family. In many cases, a stable job puts an end to a previous life of crime and breaks the generational cycle of children following parents into jail and. Less than 2% of people we place into work re-offend.

I would hugely appreciate if you could sponsor my marathon and support our men and women.

Our hardship fund helps pay for the small things that are often a big barrier to starting a job. Common examples are:

£11 - birth certificate needed to prove right to work in the UK

£25 - travel pass to get to work for the first week

£35 - shirt/trousers/shoes for an interview

£50 - Work boots and hi-vis jacket for a job in construction

£107 - a week's emergency accommodation at the YMCA if someone loses their housing.

At the time of writing it's 22nd April and I'm 5 months and 392 miles into training since I signed up. My training plan has me down to run another 100 miles in the last month, before the big day on 26th May. Your donation would be a massive boost, and really make all this running worth while.

Thanks for your support and for reading.

Rob