Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

For those of you who know me well, you’ll probably also know Donna. She was the kindest, most caring, selfless and hilarious (albeit noisy) person you could meet. As one of my oldest friends we spent most of high school, college, uni (well I gate crashed hers mostly as it’s taken me until now to actually go to one) and beyond together. I will always fondly cherish the memories of our many hilarious antics!

Tragically, Donna was taken far too soon, at just 25, after contracting bacterial meningitis. You can read her story by visiting her forever fund which is linked to my just giving page!

As a friend, the grieving process is quite different. You have your own family so you live in a world quite separate from the grief and coping network of the direct family, surrounded by people who aren’t going through the same thing. I felt as though my entire past had been erased, because so much of it involved Donna it was as though it couldn’t really have happened if she was no longer here. You grieve at your loss but you also grieve for everyone else’s loss which I found overwhelming. The support given by this wonderful charity is outstanding. I also see this in the support they have given Donna’s family, particularly her mother, whose strength and bravery throughout this tragedy is nothing short of miraculous. She and the rest of Donnas family tirelessly organise fundraising events to help raise awareness and ensure other families get the support they need to deal with the shocking and tragic loss of lives this disease claims. Meningitis Now truly does help rebuild lives.

Donnas lovely little son Jack has to grow up without a Mum because of Meningitis, and the more we can raise awareness, and funds for research, the closer we get to a cure, where no one has to go through the devastation it causes.

So now it’s my turn, it’s been a while coming...as a pure hater of running I decided if I was going to do a big fundraiser for Don, it would have to be a) something Id hate and b) something she’d laugh at me for doing...so a half marathon seemed like a good option.

So please please please please donate some funds to this amazing and wonderful cause. Remember Donna and everything she ‘loudly’ stood for...and join in with the laughs at the sweaty photos of me at the end !