We are a group of friends, formerly young & fit enough to play for Hamilton Rugby Club. For the past 9 years we have organised an annual charity cycle for a number of worthy causes, always involving hills, ferries and the occasional isotonic recovery drink - see our website http://www.charitycycle.org.uk/

This year we are supporting Vasculitis UK & the University of Edinburgh Vasculitis fund.

I had an episode of Henoch Schonlein Vasculitis with systemic involvement last year, and have had excellent support from NHS staff in various parts of the UK, particularly the ongoing care provided by Dr Bean Dhaun at the Royal Infirmary in Edinburgh.

Despite having some medical knowledge, I didn't realise how relatively common the various types of vasculitis are - these are caused by auto-immune mediated inflammation of blood vessels - which can cause numerous health problems imposing burdens on patients & their family. The Vasculitis UK charity provides support & information for patients & the NHS staff caring for them.

This year we are cycling 300 miles through the Scottish Borders, the Lake District (looking forward to Kirkstone Pass) and taking a ferry for a circuit of the Isle of Man - if @Mark Cavendish needs any training partners we should be hitting some form by then.

As always we are grateful for any donations, advice & words of encouragement.