British 10k

Anthony has generously given up his time to take part in the British 10k on several occasions over the years.

He's back once again to don his purple t-shirt and help raise awareness of psoriasis.

You can donate via Anthony's fundraising page here

Dom has worked at the Psoriasis Association for nearly 4 years now and has finally been persuaded to run the 10k along with his girlfriend, Ruth, who will be taking on her first ever 10k!

They said 'We've decided to take part in this year's British 10k to try and raise awareness of psoriasis and raise funds for the Psoriasis Association.

Dom has worked for the charity since 2014 and, in that time, has come to understand much more about psoriasis and the significant impact it can have on people's lives.

Ruth is generously taking on her first ever 10k ON HER BIRTHDAY (and probably in crazy heat) to help Dom raise awareness, because she's a diamond!

We've set up our fundraising page quite late in the day, but we really would be grateful for anything you lovely people may be prepared to donate, and we know the Psoriasis Association will be too!'

Check out Dom and Ruth's fundraising page

Gaia's aiming to go under the hour mark as she takes on this year's British 10k.

She says 'I first became aware of a skin problem when I was 7. Although it was not professionally diagnosed until I was 15, when my body was 90% covered in psoriasis. At the time there was little awareness of psoriasis and many students and teachers mistook it for being a contagious condition.

There are many reasons for psoriasis to present itself but as it stands there is no cure.

My most recent flare up occurred in 2017 which was the first time I took to the internet to raise awareness of my psoriasis instead of hiding. Upon doing this I found a mass online movement, mainly on Instagram, where displaying psoriasis was being celebrated and treatments and coping mechanisms were being discussed. This is where I discovered the Psoriasis Association.

The Psoriasis Association is the leading national charity working for people with psoriasis and is self-funding. In other words, they are totally reliant on donations to be able to continue with their work.

I am thrilled to be running to raise money for psoriasis awareness and with your support I will aim to beat my PB and complete the run in under an hour.

Any donations big or small will be greatly appreciated.'

Help Gaia reach her fundraising target

Hannah has taken part in the British 10k on several occasions in recent years.

This year, she'll be running through the streets of London once more in order to help raise awareness of psoriasis!

Hannah and Sami are teaming up to help raise awareness of psoriasis!

Hannah writes, 'So, Sami has kindly volunteered herself to run the British 10K with me to fund vital research for The Psoriasis Association because...

4 years ago I noticed red marks all over my body. Went to the GP who said it would disappear after 6 - 12 weeks. But at 12 weeks it was ten times worse, covering most of my body except my face. It started to affect everyday life; I felt really self conscious, didn't want to wear certain clothes, I'd be uncomfortable saying yes to plans if it involved swimming (which is really sad when you live next to the beach), I felt less confident in my relationship etc. etc.

I saw GP after GP who all said same thing, until someone finally referred me to a dermatologist and diagnosed me with psoriasis. Almost 4 years down the line I have a hospital appointment this week! The diagnosis alone seems to have calmed the condition and now I'm a lot happier in my own skin (although, could do with a tan). 

So, I'm running the British 10K to raise awareness of the condition and fund research that will hopefully mean psoriasis sufferers of future generations will get an answer a lot sooner.

(Plus Jonathan Van Ness has it and he is the best person in the entire world)'

Check out Hannah & Sami's fundraising page here

We're thrilled to have Katie running for us for the second year in a row!

Last year, Katie completed the race despite sweltering temperatures, and it looks like it's going to just as hot again this year!  

Maggi's taking on this year's British 10k in order to help raise awareness of psoriasis.

She writes, 'I have had the skin condition, psoriasis, since the beginning of this year. At first I found it hard to come to terms with and felt like i was never going to be confident in my own skin again! Every day is a struggle, and the scars are there forever to show, I am just wanting to raise awareness to all the people out there and to say it's OK to be who you are and it's OK to be different. Only 2% of people get this condition and it would be great one day to find a cure!

I am doing a 10k run in London to raise awareness and money and it would be great if you could donate to this amazing charity.'

You can find Maggi's fundraising page here

Patrick's motivation for taking on this year's British 10k is the impact of psoriasis on young people who are living with the condition.

He writes, 'Hi everyone, I am running the London 10k race on 15th July in aid of the Psoriasis Association.

Psoriasis is an immune condition which affects the skin and joints, and around 2% of the population of the UK and Ireland are affected by it. When a person has psoriasis, the skin replacement process speeds up, taking just a few days to replace skin cells that usually take 21-28 days. This results in an accumulation of skins cells on the surface of the skin on any part of the body, in the form of a plaque. Psoriasis is a long-term condition that may be mild or severe. There is currently no cure, but there are many treatments available to manage the condition.

I’ve had psoriasis for 25 years – my condition is deemed mild to moderate – I’ve had various lotions and potions over the years to try and combat it, and even a course of light treatment that gave me a better tan temporarily than my wife! I’m lucky because my condition could be a lot worse, and I’m helped by having a wonderful family and fantastic friends who know what I’ve got, and know its just a part of me.

The age group that really suffer mentally from psoriasis are the young, typically people under 25. In a recent study undertaken by the Psoriasis Association, it was found that 94% of this age group who had psoriasis were affected by a form of anxiety and depression, and 42% were too embarrassed to ask for help. It causes them to feel alone and isolated and can also impact their studies.

So that’s why I’m running – to help them.

The Psoriasis Association is the UK’s leading national charity for people affected by psoriasis – they provide support, through a helpline service and a recently launched WhatsApp service; they raise awareness of the condition through leaflets in hospitals and speeches at healthcare conferences; they award grants to high quality research projects to search for the cure.

But they only exist through the ongoing support of their members and individual donors. They receive no funding from the government or the Department of Health.

Any donations you could give would be greatly appreciated, and in the knowledge that my legs will be suffering on the streets of London in July!!! Thanks very much.'

You can support Patrick here

We're delighted to have Sara in our PsoTeam for this year's British 10k!

She writes 'For those of you who know me, may or may not know that since 2013 I have suffered with a chronic skin condition called psoriasis. What this means is that during a 'flare up' for approximately 4-5 months at a time my body is 70%-80% covered in red, flaky, crusty patches of skin (for the lack of sexier sounding words).

In November 2017 I suffered the most severe flare up to date which meant that my face, neck and most visible areas of my body also became a victim to it. While this flare up made me feel an unbearable sense of vulnerability and self loathing, I am undeniably grateful for it, as it has taught me to fall in like with myself in other ways than appearance, it has taught me how to self care, and it has helped change and form a beautiful relationship with myself.

And for this reason I have decided to sign up for the British 10k in July in honour of raising awareness for the Psoriasis Association and to help myself and others embrace the skin we are in.

The Psoriasis Association are the leading national charity and membership organisation for people affected by psoriasis in the UK. Through their work, they help people whose lives are affected by psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. They do this through mainly, but not limited to, funding research, providing information and raising awareness.

Their presence has provided me with a lot of support and comfort during the past few months and connected me with several individuals globally who are also dealing with this relentless skin condition.

Now that you know my story, I would be more than grateful if you could help support this wonderful organization and to help individuals across the UK learn to love their little red dots, just like I am learning to love mine!'

You can find Sara's fundraising page here