Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

When it’s sunny and you’re sitting in the garden enjoying a nice glass of wine then cycling 100 miles around the traffic free roads of London and the Surrey countryside seems a reasonable thing to do, especially if you can raise money for a good cause.

That’s what I thought last August when I was persuaded by Kate and James (who has also signed up) to apply for a place in this year’s Prudential RideLondon100 challenge. All applications are subject to a ballot so with my usual level of luck in any lottery I felt quite confident that I would be soon be able to boast that I tried but unfortunately failed to get a place.

This was almost true, as early in 2016 I received a letter from the organisers saying I had been unsuccessful in the original ballot but I was now one of the lucky (their word not mine!) 1,000 winners of the Bequest Draw. So that’s how Rider Number 21,295 obtained his place in the Prudential RideLondon-Surrey 100 which takes place on Sunday 31 July 2016.

The important part, of course, is that it gives me a chance (with your help) to raise money for Lipoedema UK, the UK’s charity for a medical condition called Lipoedema from which my daughter Kate unfortunately suffers. Lack of knowledge about Lipoedema throughout the medical profession means that the symptoms are often mistaken for obesity or lymphoedema a different condition caused by a compromised lymphatic system. Lipoedema UK is raising awareness of Lipoedema in the UK and currently working with the Royal College of General Practitioners to train doctors, nurses and all health care professionals to recognise and diagnose the condition.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.