Charles Jardine's London Marathon Blog: Week 4 - Two fly festivals and the return of my abs!

Fishing 4 Schools founder and director Charles Jardine will run the Virgin Money London Marathon on 23 April for Fishing 4 Schools. He hopes to raise at least £1,000 for the cause – you can sponsor him through JustGiving.

Here's his weekly blog; "It's been a busy and varied week! Last weekend I was in Denmark for the Danish Fly Festival in the seaport of Kolding. It was not really meant to be linked to Fishing 4 Schools, but as these things tend to happen a chance conversation may have led to F4S being set up in Denmark!

I was speaking to a guy who is working with the Danish Government to try to bring fishing into schools there. He now has all our data and is translating it into Danish. It will be interesting to see how that progresses.

We also added some new schools to F4S in the UK. Another Kent school wants to come on board – making at least 11 in that county – and a group of schools in Norfolk could well be joining us. We have also been contacted by a school in Wimbledon.

This continued expansion is wonderful, of course, but does create a few logistical problems – particularly funding and coaches. And that may be where the event I'm travelling to today (Friday) The London Fly Fishing Fair comes in.

This is the first time this event, at the Business Design Centre in Islington, has been held, so no-one is quite sure what to expect. However both Fishing 4 Schools and our sister charity Casting For Recovery have stands there today and we are looking forward to having a good chinwag with everyone who comes along.

Perhaps we shall find some new coaches – we really would like to hear from trained instructors in the Midlands, North and South Wales and Oxfordshire (contact [email protected] if this is you!). Or maybe there's rich benefactor wishing to fund our work? Well you've got to dream haven't you!

Training wise I'm back to full health so I've been out running – including along the side of the Baltic when I was in Kolding - doing circuits and I underwent another hour and 45 minute extreme yoga session. I'm really enjoying the yoga – it's great to get some variety in the training and occupy my mind as well as my feet. Also I appear to have core muscles I thought I'd said goodbye to years ago!

Once again many thanks to everyone who has sponsored me so far and to those of you who are still thinking about it, please do! Just a quid would help make such a difference to the young people we work with.

Perhaps I'll see you at the London Fly Fair – it's on today and tomorrow (10-11 March).

Until next week, yours aye, Charles