Once again beer talk and a weak will has landed me in trouble!  I have signed up to ride a pretty clapped out push bike from John O'Groats to in June 2010 - yep that's more than 1100 miles!

The good news however is that it will give me the opportunity to raise a few quid for a very worthwhile cause!  So please dig deep, ignore the recession, stay out of the pub for a night and sponsor me! 

Money raised will go to is the Cystic Fibrosis Trust - a charity set up to help all those affected by one of the UK's most common life-threatening inherited diseases.  Caused by a faulty gene (that is carried by 1 in 25 of the population) the disease itself affects the internal organs, especially the lungs and digestive system, by clogging them with thick sticky mucus. This makes it hard to breathe and digest food - meaning that those with the disease are constrained by a life of twice daily physio, heavy drug taking and with only half of those affected reaching 35 years of age (often after multiple organ transplants).  More information on the disease can be found at www.cftrust.org.uk.

Unfortunately a little friend of mine was dealt a cruel hand by nature and inherited the disease.  I am not going to pull on heart strings and say how tough it is as an 8 year old with the disease, but I will say that he's a great kid who along with others in his situation need all the support we can give.  Being a dad of two boys I appreciate the luck I have had in my life and hope that money raised can bring improvements to others.

Finally - it's not money wasted!  Improvements are being made in the treatments and hopefully a cure is not 1100 miles away!  The money raised, if not given to help improve lives, could actually contribute to finding a cure!

Thanks

Louis

PS  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.