** In addition to those named below, a big thank you to my colleagues at Aviemore, Education Sport & Culture and everyone else who has generously contributed to the £1998.65 that has been raised offline!**

Hi People!

I am setting off on 11 September to cycle unaided (no support  - carrying all my own gear on the bike) 620 miles (1000 km) from the English Channel to the Mediterranean, which means at least crossing the length of a whole country, namely France. I am attempting to complete this journey within a week!

All sponsorship I receive will go to the Motor Neurone Disease Association, as my Dad, Graeme, died from this disease on 15 July 2010. Motor Neurone Disease (MND) is an incurable progressive neurodegenerative disease causing loss of mobility in the limbs, and difficulties with speech, swallowing and breathing. The MND Association funds and promotes research to understand what causes MND, how to diagnose it and, most importantly, how to effectively treat it so that it no longer devastates lives.  

To gain an insight into this disease you may want to watch the following advert from the MND Association, but beware as it is graphic and you may find it upsetting http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PjKeN12Pls .

Obviously this cause is very close to my heart and perhaps someone you know now, or will come to know in the future, will be spared this distressing disease as a result of research made possible through fund raising such as this. Research into Motor Neurone Disease is underfunded compared to many other conditions, and as such relatively little is known about it, though this is now changing and encouraging progress has been made in recent years. Please donate whatever you can (selecting the gift aid option if you are in the UK) – and think about how sore my arse is going to be after all those miles in the saddle!

Thanks

Nick.