Story
The Groucho Cycling Club is undertaking a charity ride from "Bordello", ie the club itself, to Bordeaux. First of all from London to Portsmouth and then, after a ferry ride, from Mont St Michel to Bordeaux. With 12 riders, four days, and over 550km of road to cover, this isn't a gentle stagger through the countryside.
We're doing this to raise money for MSF. Which is where I need your help.
Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) is an independent humanitarian medical aid organisation, that provides medical assistance to people affected by conflict, epidemics, disasters, or exclusion from healthcare, in more than 70 countries, from South Sudan to Syria.
They are committed to providing medical care, regardless of race, religion, politics or gender and carry out lifesaving work whenever and wherever it is needed most.
MSF use their funds wisely and to maximum effect. Just £14 buys a safe delivery kit, providing everything needed to assist in uncomplicated births that don’t require surgical intervention.
£64 buys a field tent can be used as a delivery room, operating theatre, and a ward where malnourished children receive treatment to grow healthy and strong.
And £97 pays for a doctor for a day - this includes his or her transportation, training, travel documents, vaccines and lodging. It’s everything a doctor needs for a mission of working with populations at risk and saving lives.
To put it another way, for less than the cost of your next visit to the dental hygienist, MSF can place a fully trained doctor on the ground, wherever needed, to dramatically improve lives of people in need.
I'm not going to pretend I won't enjoy this, or that it's the most arduous challenge ever undertaken. But we've met with MSF several times while setting this up and heard first hand from their frontline staff just what they achieve under incredible pressure in extraordinary situations. So use this as a chance to give some money for their achievements not mine!
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.