Team Sands to run London Marathon in memory of babies who have died

ON 26 April 2015, 45 people, all of whom have been affected by the death of a baby, will be pounding the streets of the capital in the 2015 Virgin Money London Marathon.  Sands, the stillbirth and neonatal death charity, works to support bereaved families and improve the care they receive as well as fund vital research to prevent more families suffering the loss of their precious baby. To do this they rely on the generosity of fundraisers and supporters to continue their vital work. Stillbirth and neonatal death are not rare events. In 2013 over 5700 babies died before, during or soon after birth, that's 110 babies every week. It's a tragedy that can happen to anyone and at anytime. It's devastating not just for parents, but also for grandparents, siblings, other children, aunts and uncles, friends, work colleagues and health professionals such as midwives who have cared for parents and babies that have died. Team Sands will see runners from all walks of life take on this 26.2 mile run and they expect to raise around £50,000 collectively.  Dan Hubbard's 1st baby daughter Isabel died 1 hour after birth, following complications in the final stages of labour, in October 2009.  Dan, a Group Energy Manager from Southport, and his wife Katie have already raised over £6,000 for Sands by completing various other half marathons and 10k events since Isabel's death. And now Dan is taking his biggest challenge so far.  He said:- "To say our world was turned upside down would be an understatement. We spent months of caring and talking to our little 'bump', preparing the nursery, planning and dreaming about our future as a family. And at the end of it all, we had to go home without our beautiful baby girl. Nothing can prepare you for that. Following Isabel's death we discovered Sands. They provided incredible support to us and our family. Running and raising money for Sands provided a real focus and a form of therapy in the years following Isabel's death. I want to be able to do memorable things in my daughter's memory and raise money to help Sands in their research & support to anyone affected by the tragic loss of a baby."

Katie and their 2 other daughters Amelia and Phoebe will be there on the day to cheer him on.  To find out more about the charity please visit:- UK-Sands.org.

A Slicker, Suaver, Smarter Way to Travel with Arriva

ARRIV'S innovative mobile ticketing app is back; bigger and better than ever before; to celebrate, the operator is offering 10% off all m-tickets purchased during April 2015.  With a brand new look and smoother functionality, Arriva's m-ticket is now even easier to use for customers on the go. Faster, more responsive and bursting with enhanced features, Arriva is keen to encourage bus users to try it out by making m-tickets more affordable than ever before. For a strictly limited time only, anyone using the promotional code MT10P when purchasing an m-ticket, will receive cheaper fares across the full remit of Southport ticket types, meaning that those buying longer term saver tickets could find themselves grabbing a real bargain.  Debra Heaton, from Arriva North West:- "Our m-ticket has long led the way for mobile ticketing in the UK, but technology moves so fast these days, that we knew we had to give it a refresh to ensure it meets the expectations of our customers. We've listened to what they had to say, and have made the improvements that they wanted to see. The result is an app that is simple to use, easy to navigate, and fits neatly into our customer's everyday lives. Plus, with the money that can be saved by trialling it this month, many people will find that not only do they not need to rummage through their pockets to pay their bus fares anymore, but they'll also have a few more coins in there which they can spend on treating themselves to something entirely different!"  Updated features on Arriva's m-ticket mean that it now seamlessly links with the Arriva travel app and website, is easier to navigate, and includes access to fare zone maps. No longer is there need for web access when displaying your ticket, although it is needed for initial purchase, and there is one click ticket retrieval for easy display to the driver. E-mail confirmation of all ticket purchases is send immediately after each transaction

For more details, terms and conditions, please visit the firms website.