<p><strong><span style="color: #ff0000;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The Big Bike Ride</span></strong><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<em>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Can you help me?</em>-<strong><span style="color: #339966;"> </span></strong></p> <p><strong><span style="color: #339966;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; </span>SEE RESULTS BELOW!</strong><br /><span style="color: #0000ff;">On Sunday March 27th I am cycling 65 long miles from London to Oxford to raise money for the Unit in which I have worked for the past 20 years. The Highfield Adolescent Unit is an acute mental health unit in the Warneford Hospital Oxford, for teenagers with psychiatric problems. Many of these young people are with us for months, and they often find the experience very stressful. We support them in many ways, but we are keen to set up a Sensory Room to help them cope with their emotions. This is an area which helps them to de-escalate quickly, and then to be able take responsibility for their own safety. Such rooms have been remarkably successful elsewhere, but would cost over &pound;1500 to equip fully. I am trying to raise the &pound;690 needed to buy an mOcean ceiling light,&nbsp; which provides a soothing ever-changing pattern of subtle lights and sounds, three bean bag chairs (&pound;150) and something towards a Sound to Light wall (&pound;450).&nbsp; </span><br /><br /><span style="color: #0000ff;">Your support would greatly motivate me to keep going for the 65 miles, which works out exactly at one mile for each year of my life. So I shall be a toddler in Hyde Park, a teenager in Harrow, in my 30s when I hit the Chiltern climbs, but by the time I reach Thame, I will be already middle-aged, and certainly geriatric by the finish at Islip! If you can help me with any donation, however small, I would be so grateful, but not as grateful as those teenagers who are in distress, through no fault of their own. Donating through JustGiving is fast, safe and simple, and money donated will go via the OBMH Charitable Fund direct to the Highfield development Fund 40150.</span><br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <span style="color: #0000ff;">Thank you for taking the time to read this.</span></p> <p><strong><span style="color: #000000;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; WE DID IT!<br /></span> </strong></p> <p><strong>We have now raised over &pound;1500, which is three times as much as I dared to hope. And on Sunday I completed the ride in just over 5 hours, again much faster than the 6-7 hours I had anticipated. The 100 cyclists began from Westminster Abbey, with a blessing from the Dean, and proud waves from the family.&nbsp; Group B was then invited to start, and I just followed them, not sure what group I was in. I soon realised they were all lean young men on their sleek machines, so I thought I'd let them speed off, but adrenaline got the best of me, and I tucked in their slipstream, as we raced past Whitehall, Buckingham Palace and Hyde Park. In Ladbroke Grove some of the route markers were hard to spot, so I was pleased to be part of a group, but once we got on to the Grand Union Canal I gratefully let them speed off. </strong></p> <p><strong>The route across the Chilterns was on ancient little lanes, and very lovely, and this helped divert my mind from the steady climbing that was going on. By now there were few other riders to see, most of whom commented on my race number- 001- asking whether I was the leader! I stopped for a bacon buttie tea at Great Missenden, which was over half way, and heard that those young men with whom I had set off were about to finish! By now the weather had changed from chilly to sunny, and I cast off layers. I set off again, enjoying the downhill into Oxfordshire, the friendly marshals and the by now excellent route marking. </strong></p> <p><strong>The last miles went really quickly, and soon I was at the finish at Islip, welcomed by a hug from Charlotte. I was presented with a mug, and asked the lady if she knew my finishing position. She replied firmly that it was not a race, but then grinned and told me to count the as yet unclaimed mugs on the table. From this I deduced I was about 30th out of the 100 starters. It had been a wonderful day, thanks to you all, and it was capped when I cycled home to discover that the total had, at that stage, already reached&nbsp; &pound;1000.&nbsp;</strong></p> <p><strong>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Thank you so much.</strong></p> <p><strong>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Francis Josephs</strong></p>