Firstly, thank you for looking at our page. 

We are a bunch of very unfit student health professionals from the University of Southampton trying to do a good thing! On 15th March 2009 we are going to attempt the Bath Half Marathon. The majority of us have never run a  lap of an athletics track before, let alone a half marathon so your sponsorship and support is much appreciated.

There are currently 17 of us and more to be confirmed!        

We are raising funds for the Parkinson's Society and any sponsorship would be greatly appreciated!

Parkinson's is a progressive neurological condition affecting movements such as walking, talking, and writing. Parkinson's occurs as a result of a loss of nerve cells in the part of the brain known as the substantia nigra. These cells are responsible for producing a chemical known as dopamine, which allows messages to be sent to the parts of the brain that co-ordinate movement. With the depletion of opamine-producing cells, these parts of the brain are unable to function normally.

Generally, in the UK: 

• one in 500 people, around 120,000 individuals have Parkinson's
• about 10,000 people in the UK are diagnosed each year
• symptoms first appear, on average, when a patient is older than 50
• one in 20 of those diagnosed each year will be aged under 40 years
• statistically, men are slightly more likely to develop Parkinson's than women.

There have been many advances in treatments for Parkinson's that can offer a much better quality of life to people with Parkinson's than was possible a few years ago. This trend is likely to continue and only possible because of charities such as the Parkinson's Society.

Donating through Justgiving is quick, easy and totally secure. It’s also the most efficient way to sponsor us: Parkinson's Disease Society gets your money faster and, if you’re a UK taxpayer, Justgiving makes sure 25% in Gift Aid, plus a 3% supplement, are added to your donation.

Thanks for visiting our fundraising page, please sponsor us and support the great work the Parkinson's Society is doing in this field.

Wish us luck, I think we'll need it!