UPDATE 4th August 2012: Done it - an amazing experience!

Maybe not quite as glamorous or praiseworthy as an Olympic medal, but I’m pretty pleased to have got it, along with the other 14 in the team who did the Elise For Life Iceland Trek last week. I’d like to thank everyone in the team, Penny the leader, Oskar the guide, and Edwin the logistics wizard and masterchef for making it such an enjoyable (if exhausting) and memorable trip, and Mark Roberts and those who help behind the scenes with Elise For Life for making the whole thing possible.

Thanks also to all the family, friends (and in some cases strangers) who’ve sponsored me, and helped Elise For life get nearer to its £1 million fund raising target for cancer research and treatment at the Christie. I’ve been staggered by the generosity of the response. If anyone else feels they would like to support this cause, don’t worry, you haven’t missed the boat. Online donations can still be made via  this page or please feel free to contact me direct.

Special thanks also to Philippa the chiropodist for a blister-free trek, and most importantly to my wife Cecilia for her support and encouragement.

UPDATE 20th July 2012: Following some unexpected and very generous donations, I've now reached my original target of £2500 for the Christie - thanks very much everyone. I'm therefore pushing my luck a bit further, by raising the target to £2750. Better to aim high than low!

UPDATE 18th July 2012: Just a week to go before I leave for Iceland - sorting out the remaining bits of kit (and a bag to fit it all in :). Training has had its ups and downs, blisters and bruises, but I've seen some beautiful views in between the rain. Whether I'm fully prepared for the challenge remains to be seen, but I'm certainly more prepared than I was, and a bit lighter!

A big thank you to those who've generously donated so far. A big thank you also (in anticipation!)  to those of you out there who are itching to sponsor me :-) To learn more about the challenge, please read on...

If you can, please help me to raise funds to support the Christie Hospital's work in cancer research, treatment and care. With your help, I'm aiming to raise at least £2500.

I will shortly be retiring from Barclays (cue cries of "you can't be old enough for that" ... No? Oh well, OK). To celebrate that momentous occasion, in late July I'll be joining the Elise for Life Icelandic Lava Trek, covering about 35 miles through the rugged Southern Highlands of Iceland.This will present me with a challenge, but also an opportunity to undo some of the damage caused by too many years sitting behind a desk, as I endeavour to get fitter and lose some weight!

Supporting the Christie through the Elise for Life campaign means a lot to me for two reasons. Elise for Life was founded by Elise Roberts and her husband Mark, with the aim of raising £1 million for the Christie. Sadly Elise is no longer with us, although Mark is doing sterling work to continue what they started; I didn't know her personally, but she is remembered fondly by many friends and colleagues at Barclays, where I also work. Secondly, like so many others, I have friends and family members who've benefited, directly or indirectly, from treatment and research at the Christie.

If you'd like to know more about the Elise for Life campaign, please see www.eliseforlife.org. Please support me if you can and TELL YOUR FRIENDS.

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. Barclays will kindly match the first £750 of funds I raise, thus making your donations go even further.