Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

I am ‘cycling for newborns’ because, from personal experience as a father of a son who almost died twice in his first twelve months, I am passionate about every baby deserving a first birthday, no matter where on this planet he or she is born.

Nearly 3 million babies around the world do not survive their first month. More than a million die on their first day of life from easily preventable causes – 99% of these deaths are in poor and middle-income countries. In Vietnam, neonatal mortality accounts for 50% of deaths of children less than five years old. The critical shortage of appropriately trained nurses and equipment as well as limited knowledge are major factors as to why the newborn death rate remains high.

Something should be done about this, and Newborns Vietnam is indeed doing amazing work in this area. Although I haven’t cycled for over 40 years, I decided to team up with my son, James, under my Vietnam company’s banner, and take part in the Cycle-a-Difference ride in March 2014 to raise funds for neonatal nurse training and lifesaving equipment in Vietnam. While James will be cycling the full 440 kilometers in 3 days, I shall join in on the third day for the final leg into Danang.

This is such an important cause, and I hope you will be moved to support us in this ride, and help improve the life chances of newborns in Vietnam!

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.