Spare some change...

Sometimes donating really can make a difference

And one Dulwich Hamlet fan who is trying to make a difference is NEIL COLE, who is pounding the streets of Reading on Sunday raising money to purchase defibrillating equipment....

Here Neil tells us why it is so important:

"I will be running Reading half-marathon this Sunday (19th March) to raise money for the London Ambulance Service 'Voluntary Responder Group'. This charity has been set up specifically to train members of the public in how to deal with life-threatening emergencies, and also to fund defibrillators (known as AEDs) – the life-saving equipment which can restart a person's heart."

His reasons are extremely personal:

"I've chosen this charity because they indirectly saved my life two years ago when I had a cardiac arrest at the end of a run. I was extremely lucky to be found by other runners who knew what to do – they immediately started CPR and called an ambulance. The paramedics then 'shocked' me with a defibrillator which got my heart going again so that I could be taken to King's College Hospital. I spent most of that January in hospital, but have now made a full recovery and am back running. I'm now doing what I can to raise awareness of the importance of learning CPR and also knowing where you can find an AED and how to use one."

As Neil concludes, they don't come cheap:

"A good quality AED costs about £1,000 and my target is to raise enough sponsorship money to fund three of the them, which will be made available in public places in London."

It's a great cause, so feel free to make a donation, it doesn't have to large, all the small gifts help Neil to save lives through his fundraising.

If you choose, you can make an on-line donation, just CLICK HERE for more details.