I cannot believe how quickly time is going… 1st of April marked three months since I have started my 2016 challenge. So far I have ran over 100 miles, which is an equivalent to nearly four full marathons. In the space of three months, I have managed to run in three countries (London, Hungary and Czech Republic) and I cannot wait to see where else I will end up running in the remaining nine months.
I am very excited about taking on this challenge and sharing it with you guys. You’re probably thinking when is she going to get to the point, right?.. Okay, so here is what you need to know:
What is the “365 Miles in 365 Days 2016″ challenge?
For those who don’t know what I’m talking about… Basically, back in December 2015, I decided to take on a physical challenge. I decided to run a minimum distance of one mile every day for 365 days throughout 2016 – that’s right… Every SINGLE DAY – come rain or shine!
To some people, one mile a day is nothing, but for me this is a challenge. I am not only challenging myself physically, but also mentally by learning to live with my anxiety and pushing myself to overcome my fears (believe it or not but yes running in a public place can and was a fear of mine).
Why now?
Some of you might already know this, but I am a university student. However, I am currently completing my placement year (other’s might know is as a “sandwich year”), which means that I am currently out of education, and living a typical adult ‘9 to 5’ working life. And ecause of this, I thought to myself what a better time to do this kind of challenge than this year, where I have free time during the evenings and weekends.
Who are The Children’s Society?
The Children’s Society has been supporting vulnerable children in England since 1881. It is a national charity that runs local projects, helping children and young people when they are at their most vulnerable and have nowhere left to turn. They help defend, safeguard and protect the childhood of all children and young people throughout the UK.
Last year, they have worked with over 34,000 vulnerable children and young people. They not only help children and young people to tackle sexual exploitation, but also provide safe shelter for those who are struggling, run services around the UK for people who are desperately in need of a mental health support, as well as support families and provide a post adoption and care service. To find out more about who The Children’s Society are visit their website.
Why did I choose The Children’s Charity?
As many of you might already know… I like to do my research before I consume any product, visit any place, or purchase any item. The same applied when I decided to take on this challenge for a charity.
In the recent years, I have taken part in many charity events and raised money for charities such as Cancer Research, Mind and National Literacy Trust. So, when it came to choosing a charity for this challenge, I really wanted to make sure it was a charity that I would truly feel passionate about. I researched a lot into many charities which I was interested in supporting. And after a lot of reading, researching into Annual Reports and charity loyalty and work, I decided that The Children’s Society was the one.
It’s painful to know that many children and young people are still suffering abuse and neglect in silence. I cannot even begin to imagine how distressed a young child feels who has suffered with traumatic sexual exploitation and feels too scared to ask for help, or needs help but doesn’t know who to turn to.
I know that I won’t be able to stop this on my own, but this is why I chose The Children’s Charity who are constantly working on helping these children. I want to help raise money for this charity, as well as support them in creating an awareness of what they do, as no child deserves to go through such traumatic stress of feeling alone.
A single donation of £10 can help the charity reach a young person who’s in danger. A £25 donation can pay for a hot meal, shower and living essentials for a young runaway! Your donations can really change a life, and ensure that these children are loved, valued and listened to! If you’d like to know more about where your donation go please click here.
Why am I writing a blog about this?
Many of you might be reading this and thinking… Why did she write this blog post? It’s not relevant to her lifestyle posts or her travels?…
Well… firstly, this isn’t a blog post asking for donation (Although any donations would be greatly appreciated). And secondly, as I mentioned in my blog, I want to keep my blog personal to my life, which included writing about my travels, events and any personal stories. And since this challenge has become part of my life, I thought it would be a good way to make awareness of this charity and spread the word so you guys can support me in this challenge.
So, what can YOU do to help?
I know that this is MY challenge, however without YOUR support I will not be able to achieve my target. I’d love for as many people as possible to get involved and join me in my journey. I understand that running might not be your thing, especially every day… So, if you would like to get involved but don’t feel like running, the charity offers lots of fundraising events. Click here to see what volunteering and fundraising opportunities The Children’s Society has on at the moment.
I support the Children’s Society 100% and want to continue to help them create a safe and better life for the children. If you’d like to support me and help me raise money for this amazing charity, then please donate via my JusyGiving page.
If you’re living in the UK, you can also donate by texting “ANAS95 with the donation amount e.g. £2″ to 70070 – There is no additional cost for donating via text!
If you have read the whole blog post, I would like to say a big THANK YOU! I hope many of your will support me throughout this journey.
You can keep up to date with my runs on my Facebook page.
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