Hello!

Thank you for visiting my Hackney Half fundraising page. I am proud and excited to be running for Nightingale Primary School, to support them in offering enriching camping trips for all their Year 4-6 students. A state primary in the borough of Hackney, London, the school does an incredible job of offering experiences that many of their diverse student body might not otherwise have access to and while the school heavily subsidises these trips, the deposit is out of reach for some families. The school ensures no student misses out because of funding and I want to support them with this.

From the age of 18 months old I went camping with my family in New Zealand every year, well into my twenties. It was the time of year I most looked forward to and these trips built countless memories, along with resilience, creativity, outdoor skills and better physical, mental and emotional health. I believe every child should have access to this, so I am running to support the school in delivering this opportunity. All funds raised will go into a pot to pay deposits for those families who can't manage it.

Over 11 years ago I had an injury to my left hamstring and across the years it turned into weak everything on my left side and I have not been able to run for more than 20 minutes without pain. Last year I decided I wanted to run a half marathon to fundraise for Nightingale children and so started an active rehabilitation programme in October which continues today. I started training for this race just under 2 months ago but kept it secret until now as I wasn’t confident my body would hold up with the longer distances. I am delighted to say that with 3 weeks to go I feel confident I can do it!!

So now I need your help! What’s more, my workplace will match my donation up to £750 so we have a target! Please help me get there. Every little bit counts.

Julia