Here we go again! I must be mad but, continuing on from the great success of my charity cycle ride last year, I'm going to do it all over again! With your help, I managed to raise a fantastic amount of money for Vision Africa (VA) in 2012 so, this year, I will be cycling from Paris to Bordeaux, in the hope of raising more money to fund the charity's excellent work.   

For those who do not know the story behind this, here is some background information for you...

I will be riding in memory of Sarah Hicks, my late wife, who was an inspiration to so many. We started a charity under Sarah's nickname "Boo" in 2003, as it was one of Sarah's parting wishes to help Children in Africa; a place where Sarah had spent some time trying to overcome her cancer.

To support her wishes, myself and family visited Kenya and established a partnership with Vision Africa, which is a UK family dedicated charity that carries out the most amazing work right across Kenya. We partnered up to build a college which would help deprived and destitute girls, with an aim to helping them build a sustainable future. 

We all see the TV coverage of the poor situation Africa is facing but, until you witness this first-hand, it’s hard to fully understand it. I have been back to Africa a number of times to see how the "Boo" project, along with various other VA work, is progressing and I am always very impressed with the results.  

Vision Africa has now been going for over 10 years and has benefited 100's of young, orphaned and destitute girls. It has not only helped them grow in self esteem, but enabled them to sustain life after a 2-year period of going through the VA development program. However, whilst it's great to know that our contribution to the charity is still helping, there is always more work to be done. 

So, time to get back on the bike! I would really appreciate all your help to raise as much as possible. As before, 100% of your donation will go to the Girls' project in Kenya, so that VA can continue the brilliant work it's doing. 

Please help me beat last year's target!

Thanks everyone,

Russell.