My team at Unilever are raising money for the fantastic "Get A Head" charity and to remember their colleague Mel Jaggard who sadly passed away last year. I never met Mel myself as I joined the company after this time. However, after hearing her story and also having been personally impacted by the heartbreak that cancer causes to families, I knew that I too wanted to be involved in the company's next Charity Challenge - a 180 mile bicycle ride! As many of you know I do not cycle and in fact, I do hardly any exercise, eeek! So a lot of training and discipline is being put into this challenge in order for me to complete it. For me, this cycle ride is in the memory of Mel and also in the memory of my beautiful Aunty Jo.

This year Unilever are taking Miles 4 Mel on the road! A long, winding and hilly road as it turns out. We are a team of crazy lycra-lovers and have all committed to the huge challenge of cycling 180 miles in two days from Unilever House in Leatherhead to Mel’s home town of Gilwern in South Wales.The challenge includes a second day of 100 miles and a total ascent of 1800m (that’s the equivalent of climbing Mont Ventoux, one of the most gruelling climbs on the Tour De France).It will no doubt be a tough challenge requiring heart and commitment but hopefully one equally characterised by fun and laughter. 

The money raised will help fund a project at the new Molecular Research Centre at The Royal Marsden to understand the genetic pathways of ACC to enable them to find targets and blockers for it. The project will require funding for the next four years at least so your money really will make a huge difference. We have an overall team target of wanting to raise £50,000!