Hi All

This is something of a late call for support after I was drafted in as a last-minute replacement on this year’s Visa fundraising bike ride in aid of UNICEF! I am not sure what is harder – trying to raise some well-deserved funds in the short space of time or getting myself in decent-enough shape to drag myself 360 miles around Northern France at 3 weeks notice! Either way, I am going to give both my very best shot!

I’d be grateful for any support you can offer – however big or small – it all counts!

 

Between September 26 and 29, I will be joining a group of around 60 from across Visa Europe to cycle 360 miles in 4 days from St Malo to Lille to raise vital funds for UNICEF and I am looking for your support.

Some people might consider it mad, others just a little strange, but then consider these statistics:

-          Over 24,000 children under the age of five – about one every three seconds – die every day, mainly from preventable causes.

-          Of the c.120 million children born in the developing world each year, half live in households without access to sanitation facilities and one fifth in households without clean drinking-water sources.

-          The number of children of primary school age not attending any form of education is estimated to be around 101 million worldwide. Out of these, 53 million were girls.

In this context, my suffering over 4 days is pretty insignificant and a small price to pay. To further understand the life-changing work that UNICEF do and how important the money we raise will be, please click on the logo above.

While cycling is a passion of mine, these 360 miles from Paris to Geneva will be worth more than most as every penny you donate will go straight to UNICEF and the vital work they do with children in 193 countries around the world to improve these issues. UNICEF was created in the belief that nurturing and caring for children are the cornerstones of human progress – to work with others to overcome the obstacles that poverty, violence, disease and discrimination place in a child’s path.

Between 2010-2012, we raised over £300,000 for UNICEF with our annual Cycle Rides and we are looking to increase significantly on that this year but we need your help. If you would like to help please visit the JustGiving link below, enter the amount you would like to donate and then click on the "DONATE" link in the "Make a Donation" section on the left (and don’t forget - if you are a UK taxpayer and give Gift Aid consent the charity will receive an extra 28% at no cost to you).

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE donate whatever you feel able to. There is no commission, no minimum amount and no fees, and with Visa Europe and the participants covering the costs of the trip, the full amount that you donate will go straight to UNICEF.

 

 

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. So it’s the most efficient way to donate – saving time and cutting costs for the charity.