Michael Powell and I will be cycling from London to Paris in 4 days from 22-25th June. We considered cycling on a tandem bike, but unfortunately they're too long to fit on the eurostar on the way back, so I will be using an old mountain bike.

We'll be providing regular updates of how we're doing on facebook!

Michael has chosen the Hawk Conservancy Trust as his charity. If you want to check out his page, here is the link: https://www.justgiving.com/Michael-Powell2. He would be delighted with any donations.

I have chosen Population Matters as my charity. Overpopulation is a huge problem, and I don't think it gets as much attention as it should. The population of the Earth has risen from 2 billion to over 7 billion in just 85 years. Causes for this include increased life expectancy, and increased birth rates, especially in poorer countries, due to a lack of education and unwanted pregnancies from low availability of contraception.

Problems aggravated by overpopulation:

- Starvation/malnutrition - unneccesary suffering for those who live in places without adequate clean water or enough food, as there isn't enough to go around

- Depletion of natural resources (e.g. fossil fuels)

- Deforestation, to clear space for living or for crops

- Global warming, caused by deforestation upsetting CO2/O2 balance

- Loss of biodiversity and mass extinction, due to habitat destruction of thousands of species

- Poor living conditions and high child mortality rate

Population Matters aims to prevent these problems by raising awareness of the dangers of continuing overpopulation, offering family planning and contraception to those who want it but can't obtain it, environmental conservation and sustainable consumption of fuels.

For more information, please have a look at their website: http://www.populationmatters.org/

I'd be extremely grateful for any donations, regardless of how much you choose to give!

Thanks!