Story
<p>Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Notes from Paul Graddon:</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Last September a team of intrepid cyclists rode 400 miles in four days to raise funds for charity and accumulated some £10,000. Given how much we all gained from the ride and its success in raising much needed funds, we have decided to set about another cycling challenge summarised below:</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We will cycle from the White Cliffs of Dover to Whitesands Bay, St Davids, South West Wales.</p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="text-indent: -18pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span>Four days and roughly four hundred miles again.</p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="text-indent: -18pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span>Team of Mark Way, Martin Watson, Steve Knight (Newton) and myself, plus Rob O’Dwyer this time aiming to ride all days instead of only the last.</p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="text-indent: -18pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span>Steve Neale will drive the Support Vehicle</p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="text-indent: -18pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span>We will stop at Nicholas and Harris, and Memory Lane for refreshments, plus Marks new employer Lyons Seafood in Warminster</p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="text-indent: -18pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span>Dates for the ride are Thursday 24 May to Sunday 27 May</p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="text-indent: -18pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span>Funds raised for Alzheimer’s Society</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> We hope for this to be a regular, annual event, and accordingly our ‘core’ team choose a different charity each year. This year it’s my choice.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">My Father recently passed away and suffered from dementia. As his dementia deepened he recognised, and remembered, less and less. The last time I saw him before he died we talked about our last cycle ride and how we were all riding from Hamilton to Cardiff which mirrored a similar feat he completed in his youth. He remembered this and then proceeded to tell me that the lady who visits him in his care home (that was my Mother and his wife of 51 years) said his son Paul was doing that ride too and he wanted me to not go too fast as Paul’s getting on a bit now. Amusing and tragic.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Dementia also sometimes allows glimpses of normality too. In these moments the sufferer seems to know exactly what is happening to them and that they are losing their mind. The last one of these glimpses appeared to convince my Father that life was no longer worth living – he seemed to make his decision, deteriorated fast, was admitted to hospital, and only came out for his funeral.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">There are ways to help sufferers of dementia, and the people around them, and more research will help those of us who will suffer from Dementia in the future. As we live longer so Dementia has more opportunity to impact our lives.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Amazingly, the week we have chosen for our ride, before choosing which charity to support, is also Alzheimer’s Society awareness week and when they will be completing many fundraising events. I guess it was meant to be – how strange.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>So please dig deep and donate now.</p>