Yeehaa!  I'm running my first ever marathon and it's in London. It all started when a chap flagged me down as I was running round Wandsworth Common and asked me if I had ever tried getting into the London Marathon. I'd tried several times, so fast forward 24 hours and I'd signed up and pledged £300 to start things off. I must have taken leave of my senses with the gruelling training ahead of me. But this marathon has really helped me focus through the long winter and boost self-belief.  The charity I'm running to support helps people living in London's poorest area of Southwark  ( Charterhouse-in-Southwark). You will probably never have heard of it, as I hadn't either, but the work they do is remarkable and at minimal running costs. They're involved in projects that help kids of all ages get off the streets, out of gangs and into something positive  (theatre, dance, music classes, sport). There is also a scheme to allow overlooked school kids who show promise, into good education for free at Charterhouse School in Surrey.  The charity also helps all age groups by encouraging community engagement with the provision of carers, employment and study advice, apprenticeship programmes, drug education, religious education, work and social opportunities and crucially, providing hope and love to those who feel lonely and cut off from society, especially in their older years. Negative feelings can engender delinquency, alcoholism, depression, radicalisation and abusive relationships. We need to give people a chance to flourish and be part of life in positive ways. If you prefer to support another charity please note that every pound I raise over £1500 can be donated to alternative charities nominated by my friends and family. I've trained for 18 weeks, burned 65, 000 calories so far, run 1.5 million steps, 5 times a week, between 50-112 kms a week, and by the 24th of April, I will have run 90 runs. All worth it!  Every pound you donate really boosts my determination to achieve this huge goal in my life. Thank you in advance x

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