Not many of you will be aware but last year on the 29th July my sister, Jayne, and my nieces and nephew – Jack (12), Arisa (12) and Sienna (9) – very suddenly lost their husband/Daddy, Paul Greer (45), after he passed away from a heart attack. As you might expect this has left them and the wider Greer-Winthrop family distraught at the loss of such a warm, funny and loving member of our family.

The ensuing grief of an event like this hits everyone, young and old, in very different and significant ways. However, for children, a loss of such an important figure in their lives is naturally devastating and can have long lasting negative effects unless children are given the relevant support and expertise to help manage these extreme feelings. This is why on the weekend of 19-21 July 2025 I will be attempting to run 161km from Bamburgh Castle to Edinburgh Castle in the “Castle to Castle” Ultramarathon to raise lots of money for Child Bereavement UK.

Child Bereavement UK supports children and young people (up to the age of 25) when someone important to them has died or is not expected to live, and parents and the wider family when a baby or child of any age dies or is dying. They also provide training to professionals in health and social care, equipping them to provide the best possible care to bereaved families.

The event will be a huge challenge for me personally but being able to raise a great deal of money for this charity, which really cares for and helps children going through such an inexplicably tough time will be a real honour, great source of pride and I hope to make Jayne, Jack, Arisa, Sienna and Paul proud. Now more than ever it’s important to show children that even from the darkest situations, positive outcomes can blossom and flourish.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and for donating your hard-earned money. If you managed to get this far, when donating please also leave a song of your choice which I can add to Paul’s Ultramarathon playlist to keep me company on the run.

On behalf of Child Bereavement UK, thank you for your generosity.

All the best,

Simon