A few months before my 60th birthday, I have decided to set myself a challenge and run my first ever half marathon.

On 6th September, I’ll be running The Big Half in London – 13.1 miles – alongside my daughter and son, Amy and Adam and my colleagues from work Gary and Ionela.

So why the madness?

Well, I was initially peer-pressured into it by Amy and Adam. But it has also given me the opportunity to raise money for a cause that means a great deal to me personally.

At The Travel Network Group, we have chosen Inspire Malawi as our charity partner, with the aim of raising enough money to build a new primary school in a rural village in Malawi.

As many of you know, I was born in Malawi. I left when I was 12 and, last year, returned for the first time in 45 years taking my family with me.

It was an incredibly special trip. What struck me most was the warmth and friendliness of the people – but also how little parts of the country have changed in nearly five decades.

Malawi remains one of the poorest countries in the world and education can make an enormous difference to a child’s future.

Our goal is to build a school that gives local children a safe place to learn and, hopefully, provides some of the building blocks for a way out of poverty. It feels particularly special to be able to give something back to the country where my own life began.

Below are some before and after photos of the work carried out by Inspire Malawi

So, there’s my motivation to get myself around 13.1 miles of London!

If you’re able to sponsor me, please give whatever you can. Every donation, however large or small, will help us towards building that school and giving a generation of children a better start in life.

The JustGiving link and more information are below.

Thank you for your support and being part of this journey. It really is a wonderful cause and means a lot to me. ❤️