Thanks for visiting my Coast to Coast fundraising page.

You would think that, having not even bought my bicycle back then, agreeing to a 180 mile cycle ride across The Pennines was a slightly rash, even foolhardy gesture. I'm not sure what prompted it. Perhaps it was the challenge, the sense of adventure and the prospect of three days through some of Britain's most beautiful countryside. Then again, perhaps the three pints of Guinness bought for me by some lovely ladies from Amnesty clouded my judgment and gave me an inflated sense of my own abilities.

Whatever the reason, I'm signed up and I'm well into a training regime. That is to say, I've been riding the 7 miles to work and back, which isn't quite the 60 miles I'll be doing per day, but what's 46 miles between friends?

So this is where you, my wonderful friends and family, come in. I need to raise £700 before the ride. The money will be donated directly to Amnesty International – a human rights organisation that protects individuals wherever justice, fairness, freedom and truth are denied. http://www.amnesty.org.uk

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 and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

So please dig deep and donate now.