To my dear friends,

I am starting autumn with a bang. I intend to cycle from London to Brighton (63 miles and hilly!) on 24th October. The reasons are varied. They include increasing my muscle to fat ratio, whilst retaining my feminine form, visiting beautiful Brighton and cycling so fast that I can don my Lycra and win a cycling Gold for Lebanon in Rio 2016.
 
Most importantly, I am raising funds for an organisation very close to my heart, the Next Century Foundation, to which I have been a longstanding patron and an active trustee. The NCF strives to promote conflict resolution and reconciliation in the Middle East. It is run on a shoestring budget, relying on a small but dedicated team of interns and volunteers.
 
One of our most successful and high profile ventures is the International Media Awards, held annually in London. The awards honour those in the media that best cover the Middle East, exemplifying responsible journalism.

Today, I am looking for sponsorship for two of projects. Firstly, we want to host a series of meetings between the Bahraini government and the opposition in order to facilitate dialogue to help resolve the unrest. The second focuses on Gaza, where the NCF has long maintained good relations with all parties. We now intend to send three delegations to kick-start new talks aiming for inter-Palestinian reconciliation.
 
Small organisations such as ours that work behind closed doors, often do not receive much public exposure. However, we do make a difference and our efforts towards peace and reconciliation can only succeed with your support.

I am aiming to raise £24,000. Donations of any size would be appreciated, they can be public or anonymous, and can be made from anywhere in the world.
 
Enough said, to Brighton and beyond!!!

The ride:

I intend to leave from my house in South Kensington at 7am.  The distance from my house to the Palace Pier in Brighton is around 63miles (100Km) – according to Google Maps. The tricky question that everyone’s been asking me is “how long will it take?” The honest answer is “I don’t know”.  Estimates vary between 4 -9 hours, depending on experience. I’m aiming for seven.

 

London to Brighton is considered quite challenging, with four main hills on the route, How Lane, Church Hill, Turners Hill and finally Ditchling Beacon (or green monster) – with an elevation of 248m.

 

I will be riding a “decent” ridgeback flight 02, accompanied by a guide, and training mainly in Richmond Park. So far I have cycled 42 miles.  But Richmond is a very easy ride, so more work is needed.

 

The main challenge will be not getting lost.  We have printed directions, maps, iphone maps, and if all else fails, we can always ask for directions.