Boost

Both times I ran the Marathon before (a long time ago!), raising money for charity wasn't a priority for me. For one of those Marathons I didn't bother to raise any money at all. To be honest, back then I was running it for pretty selfish reasons.

This time I'm keen to raise as much as I can for the charity I'm running for, Boost Charitable Trust.

Why? Because what they do is just inspirational.

Boost is a small, well-run charity, which stands for Building On Overlooked Sporting Talent. Here's a little about what they do:

"Since inception in 2005, Boost has awarded grants of over £1.25 million to some amazing groups and organisations that bring sport to the needy and vulnerable, including; archery, boccia, badminton, pink dragon boating, fencing, football, sailing, swimming and wheelchair basketball and rugby, to name but a few. The majority of funding has been focussed within the United Kingdom.

A few of our current projects are detailed below:

Westminster Befriend a Family – Swimming

Boost supports Westminster Befriend a Family which provides weekly swimming lessons for 45 children. Sadly all these children are in need and are socially excluded. It gives a chance for the children to not only improve their fitness, but also improves their confidence and communication skills. Travel expenses are paid to enable the families to attend, and a snack and drink are given to the children after the session.

‘Because we live in temporary accommodation, which is really far from their school my children don’t get a chance to go round to friends’ houses or have friends round, here at swimming they see the same faces, they get to see their friends and enjoy themselves. Seeing my children happy is the thing most important to me.’

Sport in Mind

Sport in Mind provides badminton for people experiencing mental health problems in Berkshire. Due to their conditions, these people would otherwise not be engaging in any physical activity as they feel unable to access local mainstream sports.

“Playing sport and exercising regularly was undoubtedly the main reason why I recovered from depression, but also being a part of a little group and making new friends helped me feel like life really was worth living. I will be forever thankful for the help I was given by Sport in Mind.”

Boccia

Boccia was first designed as a sport for those with severe Cerebral Palsy.  The aim of the game is to propel a set of coloured balls and position them closer to a white 'marker' ball (the jack) than those of your opponent.  Boost has supported CP Sport for many years and during this time the sport has grown hugely."

More info on their website here.