Hello! Thank you for taking the time to visit my JustGiving Page.

On the 7th of July I will be part of a team, attempting to cycle 142 miles (230km) from Blackpool to Scarborough in one day. We're raising money for an excellent charity called Operation Smile; I recommend you check out their website but here’s a quick overview:

‘Operation Smile provides free cleft surgeries for children around the globe. We train local doctors to give them the expertise to carry out these surgeries long after we have gone. In as little as 45 minutes & for just £150 we can provide surgery that will transform a child’s life forever.’

We’re so lucky here in the UK. There are literally billions of people around the world that lack access to any sort of surgical care, with only 6.3% of an estimated 312.9 million surgical procedures performed each year going to the poorest third of the global population. Add that to the fact that a cleft lip and/or palate is one of the most commonly occurring birth defects (about 1 in 700 births) and it quickly becomes clear why this charity is so important.

To date Operation Smile have provided over 200,000 free surgeries for children and young adults born with facial deformities; you can see what a difference it can make by having a look at the attached picture. Not only can these kids now smile with confidence but they are also better able to speak, eat and breathe normally.

If any of you are able to donate anything at all that would be amazing. I’m aiming to raise at least £150 which is enough to give one child a better chance of living a happy and fulfilling life. 

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.