Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

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.

So please dig deep and donate now. I'll be cycling from Lands End to John O'Groats starting on the 18th July and finishing on 28th July. It seemed like a good idea after drinking too much Sambuca one night! I will be cycling with two friends but we will not have any vehicle support. We are also funding the trip ourselves, so any donations you give go totally to Lifeblood.

I suffered a DVT in November 2009, it came out of the blue and without warning. I didn't know anything about thrombosis and didn't know anyone else who had had one.

Lifeblood endeavours to reflect all aspects of thrombosis care and research in the UK. It came about because of the lack of awareness amongst the general public, politicians and health professionals, of the dangers of thrombosis. Indeed thrombosis is arguably the largest cause of death in the UK, and probably in the developed world. The aim of the Charity is to raise awareness and educate everyone about thrombosis and its prevention, as well as fund relevant research aimed at filling the gaps that exist in current medical knowledge.

Thrombosis has been – and remains – a major cause of death in the United Kingdom yet astonishingly, this fact is not widely known. Most people have little or no understanding about the causes and effects of thrombosis, and how it can be prevented. Every year, an estimated 25,000 people in England die from venous thrombosis (also called venous thromboembolism or VTE) contracted in hospital. Most people affected by thrombosis are older, but anyone can suffer from thrombosis, occasionally even children and babies.

Some facts about thrombosis:

Up to one in every 1,000 are affected by venous thrombosis in the UK each year Up to one in ten people who suffer a pulmonary embolism will die if not treated Around one in every 1,000 women develops thrombosis during pregnancy, which can lead to related long-term health problems One in three surgical patients can develop a DVT if no preventative measures are given Venous thromboembolism – or VTE – is the most common cause of hospital deaths in the UK that can be prevented

Thrombosis can happen to you, your family, your friends or colleagues. Thrombosis is often a ‘silent’ medical condition with no obvious signs or symptoms. It doesn’t discriminate and can affect people of any age or sex. It can very easily be confused with less serious conditions – a clot in the leg can be mistaken for a sore leg muscle. But thrombosis is a leading cause of death in the United Kingdom, yet most people have little or no understanding about its causes and effects and how it can be prevented.