Alex’s London Marathon Fundraiser
ALEX WALLIS
My Story
I'm running the London Marathon 2026 as part of Team Starlight!
I've watched from afar for years as people ran the marathon, raising lots of money for many good causes. 2025 saw it all come closer to home as two of my good friends took the challenge. I saw their dedication, commitment and determination to succeed in not only their fundraising but also their personal challenges. They inspired me to apply for a charity place. Never did I expect to be successful!
I am privileged to have been chosen to run for Starlight Children's Foundation to support the amazing work they do to advocate for play to become a part of paediatric healthcare. We all know the importance of play and we all know how passionate I am about this, as well as how fortunate I am to have a career working to make the child's right to play a reality BUT the reality is, in many scenarios, play is still seen as secondary or "less than". Play is vital to ensure children are able to make sense of difficult situations, build resilience and can help them to deal with the uncertainty and anxiety associated with illness. In an ideal world, all professionals working with children would understand this and be provided with appropriate training and expertise in the field of play. In reality, vital play services are provided by small teams funded by charities like Starlight. A harsh part of this reality is that play services remain hugely undervalued and therefore underfunded.
In taking on this huge challenge, I hope to be able to not only raise vital funds to support Starlight's work, but also raise awareness of the importance of play for all children, especially those who are experiencing often traumatic life experiences.
By donating, you are directly helping children to cope with serious illness by giving them tools to manage these times when they need it most. You're also helping to support their siblings and parents by providing vital funds to provide them with funding family breaks and away days, giving them a chance to make comforting, life lasting memories together, no matter what the future may bring.
If you can donate, any donation no matter the size is massively appreciated.
Much love,
Alex 💚
The healing power of play
At first glance, it’s easy to think that play happens when the important stuff is taken care of. But for children, play is central to the way they learn and cope with new challenges.
That’s why Starlight are committed to making play matter so much, it becomes an intrinsic part of every child’s healthcare pathway. They want to create a world where it’s official policy that play is a prerequisite on every child’s medical treatment plan.
Starlight are there to help all decision-makers understand the importance of play, leading thinking on its potential for positive impact, with the science to back it up.
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Target
£3,000
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Raised so far
£3,065
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Number of donors
71
My Story
I'm running the London Marathon 2026 as part of Team Starlight!
I've watched from afar for years as people ran the marathon, raising lots of money for many good causes. 2025 saw it all come closer to home as two of my good friends took the challenge. I saw their dedication, commitment and determination to succeed in not only their fundraising but also their personal challenges. They inspired me to apply for a charity place. Never did I expect to be successful!
I am privileged to have been chosen to run for Starlight Children's Foundation to support the amazing work they do to advocate for play to become a part of paediatric healthcare. We all know the importance of play and we all know how passionate I am about this, as well as how fortunate I am to have a career working to make the child's right to play a reality BUT the reality is, in many scenarios, play is still seen as secondary or "less than". Play is vital to ensure children are able to make sense of difficult situations, build resilience and can help them to deal with the uncertainty and anxiety associated with illness. In an ideal world, all professionals working with children would understand this and be provided with appropriate training and expertise in the field of play. In reality, vital play services are provided by small teams funded by charities like Starlight. A harsh part of this reality is that play services remain hugely undervalued and therefore underfunded.
In taking on this huge challenge, I hope to be able to not only raise vital funds to support Starlight's work, but also raise awareness of the importance of play for all children, especially those who are experiencing often traumatic life experiences.
By donating, you are directly helping children to cope with serious illness by giving them tools to manage these times when they need it most. You're also helping to support their siblings and parents by providing vital funds to provide them with funding family breaks and away days, giving them a chance to make comforting, life lasting memories together, no matter what the future may bring.
If you can donate, any donation no matter the size is massively appreciated.
Much love,
Alex 💚
The healing power of play
At first glance, it’s easy to think that play happens when the important stuff is taken care of. But for children, play is central to the way they learn and cope with new challenges.
That’s why Starlight are committed to making play matter so much, it becomes an intrinsic part of every child’s healthcare pathway. They want to create a world where it’s official policy that play is a prerequisite on every child’s medical treatment plan.
Starlight are there to help all decision-makers understand the importance of play, leading thinking on its potential for positive impact, with the science to back it up.
