I'm running the Manchester Marathon on the 14th April in memory of my dad and hope to raise funds for two charities close to my heart.

The first charity is Brain Research UK who are the leading national funder dedicated to research into neurological conditions and are currently funding research focused on three priority areas, including brain and spinal cord injuries and brain tumours.

In 2021, my dad died suddenly after a fall which resulted in a fatal traumatic brain and spinal cord injury. Brain Research UK want to improve the outlook for people with acquired brain and spinal cord injuries by funding research to help understand how to protect or restore function. I hope to make a small contribution to research that may one day help to prevent someone else losing a loved one this way.

As well as this, my boyfriend's mum Jane was diagnosed with a brain tumour last year. Thankfully this was operable and Jane is doing well since her surgery, but with more than 130 different types of brain tumour, which may all present with different types of symptoms, they are difficult to diagnose and exceptionally difficult to treat making funding for more research essential.

The second charity I am fundraising for is the Batten Disease Family Association (BDFA). The BDFA supports families living with the devastating diagnosis of Batten disease, a rare and terminal neurological condition that affects children and young adults. It's a privilege to witness the strength and resilience of families affected by Batten disease everyday and I can say with confidence the work this charity carries out makes a real difference to people's lives, when they are faced with these unimaginable circumstances.

Thank you for your support.

This one's for my dad xx