This is the 10th year that a Slimming World team will be taking on the 26.2 mile challenge in the Flora London Marathon next weekend (26th April) to raise money for SMILES – SMILES stands for SLIMMERS MAKING IT a LITTLE EASIER for SOMEONE. During 2009 all Slimming World’s fundraising efforts will go to raising money for the NSPCC’s Child’s Voice Appeal. Every single penny we raise will go towards helping the charity transform Childline and the NSPCC Helpline to answer many more calls for help.

Slimming World’s marathon team are: Kathryn Briggs and Paul Siddall from Head Office, Consultant Jo Gregory from Derbyshire, and members Lindsey Bellis from North Wales, Tracey Paveley (see photo below) from London, Iain Bullock from Somerset.

Anyone who’d like to pledge to the marathon team’s fundraising can do so via www.justgiving.com/paulsiddall

Every year after Christmas, Slimming World members all over the UK take part in a 6-week Slimathon in aid of our charity SMILES (Slimmers Making It a Little Easier for Someone) which, this year, is supporting the NSPCC.  And we're delighted to announce that 2008's results have now been finalised and 2008's grand total is £42,000! An enormous thank you and congratulations to all 400 fabulous slimmers who took part and lost an incredible 232 stones between them for this incredibly worthwhile cause.

This year's shining Slimathon star is Jan from West Sussex.  Jan has lost an awesome 1st 4lbs, raising £1,000 in the process, and wins two tickets to the glittering Slimming World Awards ceremony in November.

For more information about SMILES, visit www.slimmingworld.com/smiles.asp.