For the past couple of years I have raised money for cancer charities without giving much thought to what a difference these funds might make.
Then this year cancer hit my own family. Four months after my mother's diagnosis, she was dead - six years short of average life expectancy.
The pain of her going is still too fresh and raw for my to be able to extract much meaning from losing her. It has, however, redoubled my ambiton to raise a really decent sum of cash - and I would really appreciate your help with this.
I am joining a group who are are planning to cycle round Scotland in aid of Prostate Scotland. Our team is made up of nine cycling friends and supporters of the charity. The aim is to do it in a week, starting and finishing in Edinburgh and taking in Stirling, Fort William, Inverness, Banchory and Perth thereby covering much of the country (each day we shall cycle between 60 and 80 miles).
Prostate disease affects nearly one in two men over the age of fifty and one in twelve men in Scotland may develop prostate cancer. By undertaking this ride and raising some funding and awareness we hope that we can help in a small way to support the charity's work to raise awareness of prostate disease and its treatments across the country.
Now, I realise that it might seem odd for my to raise funds in my mother's memory for a charity concerned with an essentially male condition. The reason for this is simple. Prostate Scotland is a small organisation run by my friend and former boss Adam Gaines (who will also be pedaling the length of Scotland alongside me). His dedication to doing work that makes the world a better place has always been an inspiration to me, so I know, beyond doubt, that any money that you do give will go significantly further to help prevent, alleviate and cure this often fatal condition, than it would if applied almost anywhere else.
I hope you will feel inspired to dig deep in aid of the charity to help us go the extra mile.
