The Charity Bit

As promised I have now set up my fundraising page and the link is as follows: http://www.runningsponsorme.org/zoecakes

Cancer is a horrid disease and affects so many people - according to the stats 1 in 3 people will get cancer at some point in their lives - so if you haven't been affected by it in some way then you should consider yourself very lucky. Having had cancer 3 times I guess I should consider myself 'unlucky' but actually I consider myself 'pretty lucky' really, as I am still here to enter running races, harass my family, friends and passing acquaintances for sponsorship money, bake cakes and enjoy all the other wonderful things that life throws at you!

Cancer Research UK is the world's leading charity dedicated to cancer research. Their groundbreaking work on all aspects of cancer is helping more and more people beat the disease - the overall death rate for cancer has fallen by 10% in the last ten years. I'm hoping to raise £500 by running the Royal Parks Half Marathon, here are some examples of what this money could buy:

£61: 500 petri dishes - sterile dishes that are used to grow cultures of cells for experiments

£125: Enable one of Cancer Research's cancer information nurses to work for one day. These nurses provide a confidential service for anyone with concerns about cancer

£210: 14 lab coats to protect scientists from harmful chemicals, and their experiments from contamination

£300: Enable one of Cancer Research's Senior Research Nurses to treat and monitor a patient on a clinical trial for around two days

£443: 40 digital timers - crucial as experiments often require precise timing

and if I manage to exceed my target, then £528 will buy 20,000 glass slides for studying cells and tumour samples in detail under a microscope.

I will be off out on my first training run tonight, all I ask of you is that you visit my fundraising page....

Thank you for your support!