Updated on Dec 23rd 2012 at 12:06 AM from the JustGiving API

Due to house purchases, new babies and renovations, we're now scheduled for the May half term in 2013. Training is starting in earnest. Have a great Christmas!

Updated on Sep 7th 2011 at 6:32 PM from the JustGiving API

10% of the way gone, but still so much to do. Anything you can spare would be amazing. Thank you.

Three friends will be cycling over 400 miles from Addenbrookes Hospital, Cambridge to the Étienne Stéphane Tarnier (inventor of the children's incubator) memorial in Paris in a bid to raise funds for the Neonatal unit at the Rosie Hospital (Addenbrookes). All funds donated to ACT will be directed to the Neonatal unit at the Rosie Children's Hospitl at Addenbrookes without any deducations.

The trip will begin at the entrance to the hospital then travel through Cambridgeshire, London and down to East Sussex before boarding the Ferry from Newhaven to Dieppe. Once on French soil the ride will continue through the French countryside and on to the finish line in Paris.

One of the members of the travelling team, Matt, had a shock in January 2009 when his wife Beckie, pregnant at the time, was rushed into hospital. After a few hours in hospital and after various tests, the decision was made to undertake an emergency caesarean section and bring forward the birth of their daughter by 8 weeks. At only 32 weeks old, Caitlin was placed into an incubator in the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) at the Rosie. She was cared for 24 hours a day for the following 4 weeks in both NICU & SCBU (Special Care Baby Unit) to help her become strong enough to breathe unaided and prepare her for life outside hospital.

Thanks to the dedicated and sensitive staff that work in these units, and the amazing equipment they are able to use, the once frail & vulnerable premature babies are able to be cared for in the most technologically advanced way possible to reduce the risk of future health problems.

At three and a half years old, Caitlin shows no health or development problems whatsoever, something for which we can only thank a combination of this fantastic equipment and equally brilliant staff.

Unfortunately, as with many advanced treatment units, the NHS alone cannot always meet the demand of equipment required to undertake this care – the reason for our fundraising attempt with this challenge. With what is now medically possible and having personally experienced what can be achieved, it would be hard to think that babies are not given the same sort of chance of life due to just the cost of a few key pieces of new equipment.

A second member of the team, James has also had cause to be grateful for the hard work they do at the Rosie, having his first daughter, Lucy, who was three weeks premature, looked after by the fantastic staff and equipment. To add to that, pre-birth complications that were detected in his second child, Max, who was thought to have brain development problems. After all the hard work, both children are doing fine, Lucy is now 5 and a half years old and Max just coming up to his third birthday.