My brother Alexander and I are raising money for Bliss which is a charity for parents of babies born premature or sick.

This year I shall be running the Paris Marathon followed by the London Marathon 2 weeks later and together my brother and I shall be doing a variety of other fundraising events.

The rate of babies born premature or sick in the UK is rising with 1 in every 7 babies needing neonatal care.

Not only was my brother Alexander born 4 weeks prematurely back in 1974 but all four of my children were premature and three of them needed to spend time in the neonatal unit. Bliss provides emotional and practical support for parents just like me who are thrown into the unknown and need a friendly person to speak to. The support provided by Bliss not only provides parents with a shoulder to cry on but also includes practical financial advice to help parents meet the financial unexpected demands of having a baby in the neonatal unit such as additional transport costs and loss of earning. They work tirelessly to not only provide support to parents but also to campaign for better rights for parents of premature and babies born sick. Most recently they have been paramount in new government entitlement for pay and leave for parents which was introduced in April this year (2025)

Things have substantially advanced since my brothers birth all those years ago but there is still huge room for improvement. Bliss is continuing the fight to improve outcomes and quality of life for these babies - but we need your help to do that.