My 46th marathon takes me to Durham. This week’s run is for Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP), a charity providing vital healthcare and humanitarian support to Palestinian communities living under occupation and as refugees across the Middle East.

What is the struggle?

For Palestinians, access to healthcare is currently severely limited with the horrible conflict with Israel. Hospitals are facing shortages of medicines and equipment, communities are cut off from essential services, and families endure the trauma of conflict, displacement, and blockade. Children grow up without reliable access to the most basic healthcare, while the chronically ill often go untreated. It’s a struggle not just for survival, but for dignity and the right to live a healthy life.

Why am I running for this cause?

Because healthcare should never be political—it’s a human right. I’ve always had the privilege of turning to the NHS when sick or injured, but so many Palestinians don’t have that assurance, lives are being robbed. Running for MAP is my way of standing in solidarity with them, believing every person deserves access to safe, dignified, and effective healthcare.

What is Medical Aid for Palestinians and what do they do?

MAP has been working for nearly 40 years to deliver essential medical services, supplies, and training to Palestinians. They support hospitals and clinics in Gaza, the West Bank, and refugee camps in Lebanon, while also providing emergency relief in times of crisis. MAP’s work not only saves lives today, but also helps build stronger, more resilient healthcare systems for the future.

Your donation directly delivers care to those who need it most:

• £10 provides essential medicines.

• £25 helps fund mobile clinics reaching isolated communities.

• £50 supports training for Palestinian doctors and nurses.

• £100 supplies hospitals with lifesaving equipment.

Please donate to Medical Aid for Palestinians and help ensure families receive the healthcare they deserve. For more info: www.map.org.uk