At 6pm on October 5th, 5 of us completed an absurd cycling challenge (aiming to cover 500km in 24 hours non-stop from Geneva to the coast of the Mediterranean on October 4th, 2015). To put that in perspective it is over 5x the London-Brighton ride or London-Paris plus 50km on the end or London-Penzance or London-Carlisle. We began at the source of the Rhone at the Swiss border and followed its entire course to its mouth near Marseille. No sleep or outboard motors!

I have been affected by the refugee crisis and want to honour the courage and stamina of Syrian refugees who seek a new life in the UK by raising money to help them. Syrian refugees deserve an opportunity to build a new life and contribute to our multi-cultural British society. It is not just about letting them in; it is about giving them a secure home and economic opportunities.

That is why I chose to raise funds for The Refugee Council. They a leading UK charity specialising in working directly with refugees, and supporting them to rebuild their lives, providing advice on housing & jobs. They work directly with the UK government's Syrian resettlement programme.