Sometime ago whilst out for a beverage or 2 I suggested that I would run the London Marathon, well a couple of work colleagues kept me to my word so I entered the ballot for this years. You can imagine my shock when in October 2015 I received confirmation that I had been accepted considering I hadn't put on a pair of running shoes for 16 years.

Training began in earnest and is going well apart from a pulled calf muscle which lost me 2 weeks of training I am now back on track.

Enough of me the reason I have chosen the Charity Stand-By-Me Bereavement Support is that it is local to my area and I felt they would benefit more than a bigger charity who receive millions of pounds from this event.

Stand-By-Me provides dedicated bereavement support to children, young people and their families when they experience the death of someone close to them. 

The  charity offers information, telephone support, careful assessment of each individual need and a group programme to lessen the isolation and loneliness of a bereavement.

The charity has a wish list which I hope by raising a lot of money we contribute too, below are some examples:

£15 - will help provide transport for a family to a group                                 £20 - pays for refreshments for each group session                                     £25 - buys a memory box for a bereaved child                                                 £50 - pays for stationary for 1 group programme                                           £75 - buys creative resources for 6 children group session                           £100 - pays for 1 child or young person to take part in a group programme                                                                                                             £400 - helps provide basic training for 1 volunteer                                         £500 - pays for IT equipment (laptop)                                                               £600 - helps pay for telephone advice line 1 evening a week for a year      

So boys & girls as you can see above a little money will go along way for this charity so all I ask  is that you help me smash my target and give this charity the much needed funds it requires.