Charity
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The Cystic Fibrosis Trust is the UK's only national charity dealing with all aspects of Cystic Fibrosis. It funds research to treat the symptoms of CF and to find an effective treatment. It also aims to ensure appropriate healthcare for those with Cystic Fibrosis and provides information, advice and support to people with CF and their families across the UK. Cystic Fibrosis is one of the most common, life-threatening diseases in the UK. It affects over 9,000 people and 1 in 25 of us carries the faulty gene that causes Cystic Fibrosis. If two carriers start a family, each child has a 1 in 4 chance of having Cystic Fibrosis. Cystic Fibrosis affects the internal organs, especially the lungs and digestive system, by clogging them with thick, sticky mucus making it hard to breathe and to digest food. People with Cystic Fibrosis have to endure a rigorous daily treatment regime including physiotherapy to clear the chest, inhaled and injected drugs to thin the mucus and fight infections and dozens of enzyme pills to help digest food. Each week, five babies are born with CF and sadly, each week three young lives are lost. Only half of those with Cystic Fibrosis are likely to live past their late 30s, but a baby born today can expect to live longer. We seek to continually improve standards of care for people with CF; we commission cutting-edge clinical and scientific research; and provide practical and accurate information to people with CF and their families. None of this would be possible without the support of the CF community and the generosity of the public.
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Run 31
Madness! Insanity!! You what?! ?! To be fair, I’ve kind of got used to the response from people when I announce my latest escapade, whether it involves trekking in the Himalayas or something as simple (to me at least) as running a half marathon.
But my chosen challenge (or should that be challenges) for 2010 has evoked a whole new response – blank faces and a lack of comprehension – followed a few moments later, it has to be said, by all of the above.
For those of you still in the dark, here is the crux of the matter – I am planning to run the equivalent of 31 races at the age of 31, with the aim of raising £31,000 for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust.
As those of you who have spent any time around me will know, I have cystic fibrosis – it may not be immediately obvious, but when I get the pot of tablets out ahead of a meal ... well, it soon becomes clear.
Now to be perfectly honest it does not affect my life, or rather I do not let it affect my life, to any great degree – as long as I take my 25 or so tablets a day, watch what I eat and drink and stay active, I stay healthy. This has meant that since I was diagnosed at the age of four, I have only spent two weeks in hospital as a result of my CF.
Other people with the condition are not so fortunate, however, and require organ transplants and long stays in hospital – in several cases, even this is not enough and many people younger than myself have died from CF.
In fact, until very recently, the average life expectancy for someone born with CF was 31, the age I reach on Christmas Day 2009. I am extremely lucky in that my condition, according to my specialists, is now at its most manageable ever, which is attributable to a great extent to the fact I am able to run four or five times a week.
I trust that makes the reason for my challenge, and the significance of the number of races and what is, in my opinion, an ambitious fundraising target very clear.
Any money I raise will help the CF Trust fund research which could transform the lives of thousands of people in the years to come and, ultimately, could contribute to the ongoing quest to find a cure for the condition.
You can keep up with my progress through the blog on my website, or by clicking on the Facebook and Twitter links – it would be great to have you on board….
Alan
Recent donors
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Paul Atkins £50.00 01.02.11 |
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Helz £235.00 (+ £66.28 giftaid) 25.01.11 Just a few more pennies for you... |
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Dick Horsnell £50.00 10.01.11 Well done Alan you are an inspiration to all connected with CF |
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Fforest Fields! £1290.00 06.01.11 From all the visitors to Fforest Fields Caravan and Camping Site who have supported your cause this year! Congratulations Alan, well done indeed! |
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Tom Bradshaw £31.00 (+ £8.74 giftaid) 30.12.10 Many congratulations Al - a brilliant effort. I've meant to do this for ages. I was going to say 'put your feet up', but I bet there's a fat chance of that! Best wishes for the new year |
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Anna Mansell £31.00 (+ £8.74 giftaid) 28.12.10 Am so immensely proud to call you a friend, and so pleased you've completed this crazy crazy challenge. Would love to say I'll join you for a run one day, but I'd be going twice as far against your lanky self and that just wouldn't be fair... ;-) x |
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Max £31.00 (+ £8.74 giftaid) 27.12.10 Wish I could put a zero or two on the end mate, because your efforts this year have been truly amazing and deserve it. But I can't. Meh. |
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Donna Ward £31.00 (+ £8.74 giftaid) 22.12.10 Very well done Al, I wish you all the best of luck and good health for the future xxx |
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Chris Wilson £10.00 (+ £2.82 giftaid) 17.12.10 Only a few days to go.......... |
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Chris Prall £10.00 (+ £2.82 giftaid) 16.12.10 Well done Al, great achievement! |
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Nic £10.00 (+ £2.82 giftaid) 15.12.10 Well run, Alan |
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Tim Marsden £50.00 (+ £14.10 giftaid) 12.12.10 Hi Alan Sorry I've left it until the last minute, but what a fantastic achievement, brilliantly done, you should rightly be very proud. |
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Mum & Dad £10.00 (+ £2.82 giftaid) 12.12.10 Well what a year! So proud of you and great to be at the Santa run today. Thanks for all the enjoyment. Love Mum & Dad xx |
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James Barnes £20.00 (+ £5.64 giftaid) 09.12.10 Great Effort - All the best for the last Race, James, Ali & Georgina |
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Tiffany £30.00 (+ £8.46 giftaid) 04.12.10 Been meaning to sponsor you all year! Finally got there! Congratulations on working so blimmin hard at this - and I'm awed by the achievement... bet it's been fun too though! |
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Mandy £31.00 (+ £8.74 giftaid) 01.12.10 Nearly there! Well done! |
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Matt W £20.00 27.11.10 |
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Mum & Dad £31.00 (+ £8.74 giftaid) 22.11.10 Well done-great to be with you for this final Marathon of the year - should be a doddle for the last few runs!!See you at the Santa Run. Love Mum & Dad xx |
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Sue Austin £70.00 (+ £19.74 giftaid) 21.11.10 from Ellesmere runners...sue and mel, will and jan, paul and lauren, will and glenda, tanya, di and curly. so in awe of your challenge! |
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Ben & Anna Gillings £50.00 (+ £14.10 giftaid) 20.11.10 Really terrific what you've achieved this year Alan. Best of luck for the final push! |
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George Fletcher £10.00 (+ £2.82 giftaid) 19.11.10 Good luck for such a noble cause to John Ainsworth and his band of . . . runners ! ! |
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Jimmer's Grandma £10.00 (+ £2.82 giftaid) 18.11.10 Fantastic effort, Al, almost there! |
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Jimmers £30.00 (+ £8.46 giftaid) 18.11.10 Well done for sticking it out and getting this far and good luck with the big one on Sunday!! |
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Anonymous £50.00 16.11.10 |
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Mum & Dad £10.00 (+ £2.82 giftaid) 07.11.10 Well done - but 2 races in one day can't cope with that! See you in a couple of weeks for the Cornish Marathon.xx |
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Mrs Christine Jardine £20.00 (+ £5.64 giftaid) 03.11.10 Congratulations to both you and Clare Clare's mum |
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Jude Mullarkey £20.00 (+ £5.64 giftaid) 03.11.10 Glad to hear CJ's knees carried her through the Venice jaunt - well done all! |
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Janine Hoban, Mayo Ireland £20.00 (+ £5.64 giftaid) 02.11.10 good luck with the challenge Al and keep up the good work inspiring Top Trotter Clare to keep running (or plodding!) |
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Ed (random punter) £20.00 (+ £5.64 giftaid) 01.11.10 I don't know you from Adam(!), but your commitment and drive is inspiring. Hopefully this helps a bit and I wish you the best of luck with the final few races. And congratulations on all you've achieved so far! |
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Mum & Dad £10.00 (+ £2.82 giftaid) 24.10.10 Well done on another good race-just think you can have a lie in next Sunday & an extra hour in bed!xx |
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Peter Norris - Tivvy Harriers £10.00 (+ £2.82 giftaid) 22.10.10 Well done. What a challenge and only a few more to go and there was me getting worreid about just the Cornish marathon. |
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Mum & Dad £20.00 (+ £5.64 giftaid) 17.10.10 Well done on a brilliant time in Amsterdam.See you for the Cornish Marathon. xx |
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Anonymous £10.00 (+ £2.82 giftaid) 13.10.10 I just think this is probably the most impressive thing I have ever heard! Good luck with the rest of your challenge and I hope you reach your target! xxx |
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Mum & Dad £10.00 (+ £2.82 giftaid) 11.10.10 Well done on Eden run - great to be with you & we didn't get wet!! xx |
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Helzbels £20.00 (+ £5.64 giftaid) 11.10.10 Here's my 100 club winnings... you're still bonkers :-) |
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Anonymous £10.00 (+ £2.82 giftaid) 08.10.10 I have a daughter with cf. What you are doing is amazing, thank you for raising money for all pwcf :) |
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Silverfish UK £200.00 07.10.10 What an amazing challenge and achievement. From all at Silverfish-uk. (Ask your Dad!) |
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Mum & Dad £20.00 (+ £5.64 giftaid) 07.10.10 Great to be with you in Jersey-fantastic run.Well done. xx |
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Anonymous £150.00 (+ £42.31 giftaid) 25.09.10 Thought a little more encouragement was needed this month!xxx |
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Mum & Dad £10.00 (+ £2.82 giftaid) 23.09.10 Well done on the Great North Run-pity about the rain at the end-looking forward to Jersey now & hopefully sunshine! |
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Anonymous £50.00 (+ £14.10 giftaid) 17.09.10 Excellent initiative and keep running ! |
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David Wells £10.00 (+ £2.82 giftaid) 13.09.10 |
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Mum & Dad £10.00 (+ £2.82 giftaid) 06.09.10 Well done - here's to the next one - The Great North Run. x |
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Mum & Dad £15.00 (+ £4.23 giftaid) 23.08.10 Great to be there at the end of 'Race the Train' - well done - pity about the weather-but we enjoyed the train ride in the dry!! |
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Anonymous £31.00 (+ £8.74 giftaid) 10.08.10 £31 for 31! |
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chris l £20.00 (+ £5.64 giftaid) 09.08.10 Teriffic idea, hope it all goes well |
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Anonymous £20.00 (+ £5.64 giftaid) 09.08.10 |
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Kerry (friend of Ollie) £20.00 (+ £5.64 giftaid) 06.08.10 Good luck with your endeavours. I hope you get to your target. |
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Colin & Maggie Bunting £50.00 (+ £14.10 giftaid) 01.08.10 You are doing brilliantly matey, keep it up. A good cause, a great bloke and a fab runner. |
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Mum & Dad £10.00 (+ £2.82 giftaid) 01.08.10 Brilliant run at Indian Queens - well done. Love Mum & Dad |
