In 4 months I've gone from not being able to run more than 2 minutes without feeling ill, to 5k in under 30! Feeling quite proud and overly ambitious, I decided to sign myself up for the Hackney Half Marathon this May.

I'm aiming to raise funds for Abortion Support Network, a vital service that provides financial support and non-judgemental care to Irish women who cannot afford to travel to the UK for abortions.

Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland have some of the most restrictive abortion legislation in the world, and politicians on both side of the border continue to stick their heads in the sand and let women take care of themselves. In the Republic, abortion is nigh on impossible to procure and could result in imprisonment for up to 14 years. This leads to the sour scenario where a woman pregnant as a result of rape who has an abortion, could have a longer prison term than her rapist's. Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK not covered by the 1967 Abortion Act, and the NHS does not cover NI women who travel to the mainland to procure an abortion.

Bizarrely, in the Republic's constitution there is a provision for allowing women to travel to the UK - "You can have one, just not under our roof". 12 women a day travel from the Republic to the UK for an abortion. However, this is only for women who can afford the cost of flights, accommodation, the days away, food and the procedure itself. This means that women with less means are forced to order pills online, or find an alternative route. For both groups, the stigma and shame around abortion means that many never speak about it and feel unsupported 

Abortion Support Network is a charity set up to provide the support these women so desperately need. They provide grants and cover the costs of travelling to the UK for women who cannot afford to do so. However they are underfunded, and the phone keeps ringing. 

£224 covers one woman's trip. £5 could mean the difference between a flight and a ferry. "Every little counts" is a cliche often used, but in this scenario every pound donated will impact these women's lives.

The aim is to raise £500 running the Hackney Half Marathon, or to cover two women's trips. I appreciate this is a controversial topic, many people I know may not feel comfortable donating. However I'd ask you to read some of their stories, and think about who you are helping.

• https://www.abortionsupport.org.uk/
  
• http://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/nov/16/ireland-abortion-women-forced-abroad
  
• http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/oct/31/abortion-ireland-northern-ireland-women-travel-england-amelia-gentleman