***Rothacs is now linked to this page - please help by donating to Rothacs page to catch up on donations. Thank you!***

4 Nations, 4 Marathons. One Cause That Means a Lot to Me.

This year, I’m taking on a huge personal challenge: running a marathon in each of the four home nations — The Great Welsh, Manchester, Belfast, and Edinburgh — all between March and May.

Running four marathons in such a short space of time will push me physically and mentally. But that challenge is nothing compared to what an estimated 5% of men in the UK live with every day after surviving childhood sexual abuse.

This is a cause that’s very close to my heart. Charities supporting male survivors often struggle for awareness and funding because of the stigma and silence that still surrounds these experiences. That’s why I’ve set myself the ambitious target of raising £3,000, which will be split between two organisations doing truly life-changing work.

I want to be clear that I am personally covering all of the costs associated with the marathons, so every penny raised will go directly to the charities.

The first is First Steps in Leicester, which provides specialist support for male survivors of childhood sexual abuse. The second is Rothacs, a local charity supporting victims of abuse in my community. The amount raised for each charity would cover the cost of an extended course of counselling delivered by fully trained professionals.

The support these organisations offer can help someone move from feeling alone and defined by what happened to them, to feeling supported, heard, and able to move forward as a survivor. I’ve included links below if you’d like to learn more about the vital work they do — and, if you’re able, I’d be incredibly grateful for your support.

https://firststepleicester.org.uk/

https://www.rothacs.org.uk/