Hi, I’m Alan

On the 24th April I will be running the London 2016 Marathon! Eeek!!!

I have been training since December 2015 and at the tender age of 43 I am finding it tough but have to say am loving the challange and the thought of helping young people is a great motivator.

After a few weeks gap in my training in February to recover from a nasty knee injury I’m back pounding the pavements for the big day!

The charity I have chosen to raise funds for is The National Literacy Trust (N.L.T) … Hence #LegItForLiteracy

In 2015, Boots Opticians partnered with the National Literacy Trust to improve the literacy of the UK’s most disadvantaged children. The partnership highlights the links between eye health and literacy: 1 million children in the UK are estimated to have an undiagnosed eye condition.

My 5 year old daughter, Olivia was one of these children. In February this year we spotted that Olivia at times was holding her books very close to her face. After an eye check the Optomet

rist confirmed a small prescription and a need for glasses! Olivia was delighted and now a bit of an advocate for glasses to support her reading!

An undiagnosed eyesight problem at a young age could be a huge barrier to enjoying reading, which is a vital part of a child’s literacy development. Low levels of literacy are most common in our poorest communities and it is in these areas that people are often more likely to delay eye tests.

I work for Boots Opticians and hear stories every day that relate to the importance of eyes!!! I would be ever so grateful if you could support me on this gruelling 26 mile journey by donating to this fantastic cause.

You will be making a huge difference to the lives of so many children.

If you can read, you can succeed. Give a child a route out of poverty today….

I hope you will enjoy following my diary entries, I wil keep them as entertaining and informative as possible! Thank you in advance for your support, please spread the word and donate :-)

Best wishes

Alan