The Birmingham Children's Hand and Upper Limb Service

After running the London Marathon in 2008 for the Birmingham Children's Hospital, I decided I wasn't really a long-distance runner, and two marathons was probably enough.

Then BCH sent through an email about the Birmingham Half and before I knew it I was signed up to go.  "It'll be good to get you out of the house" and "It's only a half marathon" were the encouraging words from my wife Eli.

I'm raising money for the Birmingham Children's Hand and Upper Limb service.  It was set up by my Mum (Ruth Lester, and her colleague Andrea) and I'm enormously proud and amazed by the work being done there and what she has achieved.

If you've ever seen the smile of a child that wakes up to find they can pick up and use their favourite toy - you would be too.  In many cases, it's life-changing.

The money you give will help realise the aim of this service, including:

1) Providing a focus for the referral of children from the West Midlands Region with Congenital deformities and other conditions including injury of the hand and upper limb.

2) Supporting Research into the causes of Children's Hand Anomalies and the outcomes of various forms of treatment.

3) To train specialist doctors, surgeons and therapists to understand the options for surgery and other therapies for children with Hand and Upper limb problems.

4) Supporting children and their carers who have been born with anomalies or suffer injuries or other rare conditions involving the hand and upper limb.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

Please 'go for it' and support this fantastic cause and the kids by clicking 'donate now' below.