Tonight is our big event – our third and final 100 Hearts. There are so many people without whom it would not have been possible to stage this event and if you are reading this before the Night of Comedy, then I hope you are coming because all the tickets have been sold – which is amazing for one of London’s largest theatres. 

And it is going to be tremendous so a huge thank you to all our sponsors, performers, backstage, London Palladium colleagues, the Charity team and especially Rosie and Philip Pope. 

But what would happen if we did all this work and only a handful of people came? So, my thanks also go to you if you bought a ticket, or several tickets because every £ raised on the night will go to support our world-class hospitals and the patients they care for. 

Life does not stop at 10.30pm on Wednesday 13 February – we have a host of activities to do, stories to tell, patients to meet and fundraisers to inspire. The days are getting longer and we are thinking about Spring and Summer. From a Pancake Day event to one of our most iconic and special half marathons – the Vitality Half Marathon - fundraising and fun continue.

One of our most innovative events is the Brighton to Brompton Virtual Challenge and I am going to sign up for this myself. I will then take part in a 93-mile challenge which I can do at my own pace and in my own time (although before March). I have set myself a target and will log my miles every day. Luckily I can walk to and from work so that’s a good starting point, but I will be sure to log my steps at weekends too, as I am a keen gardener – and it’s soon going to be planting time, so I hope I can count kneeling steps too! 

This challenge is special as it will be raising money for our Cystic Fibrosis Appeal. CF patients cannot get together because of the danger of cross-infection, so we cannot gather the very people we are wanting to support; this virtual challenge is something they – I – and you can do. Why don’t you come and join me and get sponsorship – every £ will help.

CF is a cruel and lifelong condition – this campaign won’t cure, but it will enable patients who have to spend hours every day coping with their condition, to live more normal lives reducing frequent, exhausting and expensive journeys to hospital. If you are going to sign up to the Brighton to Brompton Virtual Challenge, why not let me know and we will walk together… virtually.