Thanks for visiting my fundraising page!  I’m spending an awful lot of spare time pounding the streets of London to seriously train for the marathon, so please please give generously to make all these cold winter runs worth it.

 

Goodness knows why, but I've decided to take the plunge and run the Virgin London Marathon (hence my photo: VLM) as it's something I've thought I'd like to do for a long time, I've just always found an excuse...  But, after such an incredible Olympics and Paralympics last Summer,  I'm channelling the likes of Mo Farah and Usain Bolt, and hoping I will put in a gold-medal-winning performance (well, at least to get round in a half-decent time!)

 

Training will be tough, but I'm really committed to doing what's necessary to raise the money for Sense.  They're a really fantastic charity.

 

Throughout my years in medical school I've had the privilege of meeting some really wonderful people.  One of the most challenging times was when I was in an Ophthalmology clinic (that's eye doctors for those who aren't so keen on medical jargon), when the doctor had to explain to two parents that their 10 year old daughter would slowly lose her sight.  Seeing her parents' shock and grief for what their daughter would miss out on was an experience that I won't forget.  After they'd left, the doctor told me that he felt it's worse to lose your hearing than your sight.

 

What I really can't imagine is having both a visual and hearing impairment.  That's where Sense come in: they support and campaign for children and adults who are deafblind.  They work closely with families to support people with these impairments.

 

I'm hoping to go as a volunteer on a Sense children's holiday soon, so watch this space!

 

Whatever you can afford to donate, me and Sense would be really grateful.  Here are some examples of what your money can do:

 

£15 pays for a child to take part in a pottery class on a Sense holiday.

£25 pays for an interactive light tube to stimulate a deafblind child’s senses in a special sensory room.

£35 helps Sense to stay in touch with a deafblind family so they can help them to find out what they need to know.

£50 pays for one deafblind child and their family to attend a Sense family day.

£150 equips a Sense centre with the sensory toys to help deafblind children develop and learn.

£170 pays for a visit from a Sense Children and Family Support Worker.

 

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

 

So please dig deep and donate now.  Thank you so much!

 

Sophie xx