I am running my first marathon in Dublin on Sunday 27th October and would like to use this opportunity to raise money for 2 very good causes - Cancer Research and the St Francis Hospice in Dublin.

2019 has been a difficult year for my family and friends as we have lost 2 family members to cancer and seen others undergo treatment for the disease.

My sister-in-law Noeleen and my Uncle David were both diagnosed at the end of 2017 but sadly died this summer. While Noeleen and David did not survive their illnesses, my boss Chris has recently been given the all clear following his treatment for throat cancer. I would like to raise money for Cancer Research to help more people have an outcome like Chris. But many people do not have this result and are in need of palliative care at the end of their lives. For Noeleen, this was provided by the team at the St Francis Hospice in Dublin who cared for in her final weeks of life. Like many hospices, St Francis is reliant on donations which is why I would also like to fundraise for it.

The Dublin Marathon is my first attempt at the distance, so I wanted to mark it in some way. Raising money for charity in memory of Noeleen and David, in Noeleen's home city, seems like the right thing to do.

Thank you for your support and generosity.