I’ve signed up to run the Manchester Marathon on the 19th of April to raise money for Abbeyview Day Centre — a charity that means a huge amount to me and my family.

Last year, my Di passed away very suddenly, which was incredibly tough. As well as this, my gran has been living with dementia and Alzheimer’s. Don’t get me wrong — she’s still sharp as a tack in many ways, but we’ve seen how these conditions can affect her confidence and wellbeing over time.

That’s where Abbeyview comes in. They’ve honestly been amazing. My gran goes twice a week, gets out of the house, has a good laugh, keeps her mind busy, and probably has a better social life than I do at this point.

She attends the Keep in Touch Club, which is for people aged 65 and over and is all about tackling loneliness and isolation. It’s given her the chance to make new friends, have a craic, and feel part of something — which has made such a difference to her.

Seeing how much Abbeyview has helped my gran made me want to give something back. Apparently my brain decided the best way to do that was to run 26.2 miles… so here we are.

If you’re able to donate anything at all — even the price of a coffee — it would mean the world to me, my gran, and everyone at Abbey View who does such incredible work.

C’mon, don’t be tight.

Edit - I’ve also decided to go sober for the next 12 weeks as well as made a time goal of 3 hours 45 min for the Marathon…

Thank you so much for your support!