Inspired by my amazing wife, Fiona, who has been living with long term illness and injury after a serious accident, I will be taking part in the 18 mile Aberdeen Kiltwalk on 7 June 2026.

Fiona has worked across many care settings and most recently with children in the NHS. Our family’s connection to care runs deep: my stepdaughter is an HDU children’s nurse, and I’ve seen firsthand the compassion and skill that keep families together during their toughest times. Those experiences made me want to do more.

Choosing a charity to support wasn’t easy — there are so many worthy causes struggling in the current financial climate. But I keep coming back to what our family went through after my father’s severe stroke in 2021. He was left paralysed and non verbal, and it would not have been possible for him to remain at home without the care and support he and my mother received. My father sadly passed away last year, but the help our family received made a profound difference in his final years.

I also have a nephew living with a longstanding heart condition who is awaiting further surgery and who suffered the recent loss of his mother after a long illness. These personal experiences have shown me how vital community support is for people facing chest, heart and stroke conditions.

That’s why I’m raising funds for Chest, Heart & Stroke Scotland. They make a real difference to the one in five people in Scotland affected by these conditions through practical support, advice and community healthcare services. Every pound raised helps them reach more people who desperately need help.

Please sponsor my Aberdeen Kiltwalk and help Chest, Heart & Stroke Scotland continue this life changing work.

Thank you.