charity

London Marathon chief executive Nick Bitel said in a statement: "We are deeply saddened and shocked by the news from Boston". After the tragedy at the Boston Marathon, were you present at the London marathon to show your support or were you concerned about your own safety?

The media have concentrated their focus on the Boston Marathon in the last week. The news came to me on the many social networks. The web community seemed really affected, and has sent their prayers to the family and friends of the victims and injured.

Were the runners of the London Marathon scared? What about the hundreds of thousands of spectators? I do not know. One sure thing is that the Marathon did not get cancelled. The race from Greenwich Park to the mall (a 26 mile run) is a celebration for all running amateurs, passionate sportspeople and talents who take part in the event. It is a day of enjoyment planned every year.

Security was rearranged for the event as London mayor Boris Johnson had spoken to police Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe "about the possibility of extra security for the London Marathon" for prudence. No less than 36,000 runners participated in the event.

Coming to London for the first time, chances are you'll have bumped into one of the numerous volunteers found on the major streets in Greater London. They are generally trying to raise money, probably to support a non-profit organisation such as Greenpeace.

Greenpeace is an independent institution aimed at promoting a better understanding of current threats to nature and a more responsible maintenance of the world. Founded in 1971 by a small group of activists, it has now spread around more than forty countries around the globe.

In this century where profit leads most people's actions, it is crucial to raise awareness about environmental issues such as global warming, the importance of recycling and the need for a greener economy.

Greenpeace's campaigns have always had a huge impact on social and political changes by fostering a more responsible way of thinking. The actions have many forms- from investigating and exposing environmental abuse, to lobbying governments and decision makers, to championing environmental responsibility.

The annual London Marathon took place on Sunday, with almost 40,000 runners raising millions of pounds for good causes. However, despite the usual excitement, fancy dress and fun, there was a tragic side to this year's Marathon. A 30-year-old runner collapsed during the final stretch of the race and died soon after.

Claire Squires was a hairdresser who had run the Marathon once before, and had even climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in March. Despite appearing in good health she collapsed near St James's Park for unknown reasons and paramedics were unable to revive her.

A statement on the London Marathon website yesterday confirmed her death, saying:

"The organisers of the Virgin London Marathon would like to express their sincere condolences to the family and friends of the deceased. We would like to emphasise that our immediate concern is for the family of the deceased. Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with them at this difficult time."

Claire Squires is the tenth runner to die during the London Marathon since it began in 1981. Though the reason for her collapse is still unknown, five of the previous runners who died had been suffering from heart disease that they were unaware of.

Chairman of the Cobra Foundation, Patrick Shervington MBE, explains the work of this charity that has deep roots in both the UK and India.  

"In 2005, to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the establishment of Cobra Beer Limited, Karan Bilimoria, founder of the company, resolved to form a charitable trust. Its objectives are defined as follows:

Cobra Foundation is an independent charity, registered in the United Kingdom, providing health, education and community support for young people in South Asia, especially through the provision of safe water. Our charitable objectives include giving help with Disaster Relief in the Region.

The Region extends from Afghanistan to Burma or Myanmar and includes the core countries of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, together with Sri Lanka, Bhutan and Nepal.

You may think that today is the 1st of November, but you'd be wrong. It is actually the 1st of Movember. For, you see, over the next month thousands of men across the world will be refusing to shave their top lip in a bid to grow the biggest, most ridiculous moustache, all in aid of charity.

Global Phenomenon 

It all started back in 1999 when a group of Australian men came up with the idea. After growing in popularity faster than anyone could have expected, it was taken over by the Movember Foundation charity in 2004. Since then, it has become a truly global phenomenon, and so far more than 1.1 million people have taken part, raising an incredible £106million overall. The money all goes to raising awareness and funds for men's health issues, such as prostate cancer and depression.

Movember has gone from strength to strength in the UK and last year 120,000 people helped raise £11.7million simply by growing hair on their top lip.

The Rules

The full rules, as detailed in the ‘Movember Manifesto' are: