<p>SOUTH DOWNS WAY CHARITY CYCLE RIDE 23-24 JUNE 2012</p> <p>On 23rd June a group of friends are attempting a weekend cycle ride along the South Downs Way to raise money for The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity (childhood cancer research department). Starting at Winchester and finishing (102 miles later) at Eastbourne, the South Downs Way is known to many as the toughest off road cycle route in the UK. Mainly off road and on chalky ground, the ride is never flat, and the energy required to climb an accumulated 11,000ft is immense. However the route affords breathtaking views and is definately an exhilarating experience! The 25 strong team are of mixed cycling ability. Some are keen amateur cyclists, whilst others are a little rusty on 2 wheels. However everybody has one goal in mind which is to raise as much money as they can for The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The Team so far (in alphabetical order)</p> <p>Richard Blasckovics, Karen Briggs, Martin Champion, Greg Chapple, Ben Dorling, Colin Douglas, Bob Dunkerley, Mark Dunkerley,Aaron Fisher, Ben Goddard, Catriona Hamilton, Mark Herring, Jude Hull-Flower, Marcus Keane, Alex McCabe, John McCabe, Andrew Morton, Cameron Moss, Niall Murphy, Clare Pascoe, Matt Pascoe, Chris Slater, Mike Spencer, Tom Spencer, Sanjay Swarup, Tamas Szalai, Gavin Thomson, Simon Thomson, Simon Webb, David Williams</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity</p> <p>All monies raised from the cycle ride will benefit the childhood cancer research department of The Royal Marsden Hospital. Their aim is to find a complete cure for all childhood cancers. Their groundbreaking research work has already positively impacted on childhood cancer survival rates not only within the hospital, but throughout the UK. Thanks to your money they are able to continue to run clinical trials, develop new and exciting approaches to tackling the most aggressive cancers, and develop ways of tailoring regimes to each child. The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity is a member of the Fundraising Standards Board (FRSB), and are proud to champion the principles of honesty, accountability and transparency when fundraising. Membership of the scheme represents a commitment to the highest standards of practise and ensures that all fundraising activity is open, legal and fair. Membership is volountary.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Why are we cycling for The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity?</p> <p>Babette Morton is a 5 year old little girl who was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia at the age of 4. She is a patient at The Royal Marsden Hospital in Sutton, Surrey.She has already undergone a year of gruelling chemotherapy and still has another 18 months of treatment left. Throughout she has received the very best treatment and care from the dedicated staff at The Royal Marsden. Happily her treatment is working and her prognosis is good, although there is always the risk of the Leukaemia returning. For many children at the hospital with rare or advanced cancers, the prognosis is extremely poor and sadly many of them never make it back home. Her parents have vowed to raise as much money as they can for the cause, and Andrew (Babette's dad) is a member of the cycle team.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Now here's the blurb</p> <p>Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving &ndash; they&rsquo;ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they&rsquo;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&rsquo;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>