Since 2010 my friends and I at East Midlands Trains have supported at least one major cycling event for charity each year. These have included riding London to Paris, Edinburgh to London, London to Brussels via Amsterdam, Derby to Portsmouth, a 3 day Land’s End to John O'Groats relay, London to Aachen (318 miles over five countries in three days), and in 2016 as part of a wider group of 15 teams led by BTP we helped cycle the complete circumference of the mainland UK Coastline over three days; not to mention numerous one day sportives and Turbo based fund-raisers.

Last year a group of us self-funded another epic ride from St Pancras (London) to Sint Pancras (Holland), and involved even more newcomers to our Bonkers Bikers team.

Over this period, our combined efforts have raised over £50k for deserving causes. With a further £145k being raised through charity railtours, taking HSTs into previously uncharted territories… oh, and Grifftonbury. We cant forget Grifftonbury. Our first musical event starring 'Cut & Run' - a group made up entirely of EMT employees that raised over £5k for Samaritans.

This year my EMT friends and I will once again be organising a fully self-funded multi-country charity cycling event between St Pancras and Paris - but taking the scenic route via Portsmouth, Caen and a long and hilly approach from the West of France. 

This ride will be entirely self-funded, so every penny raised from this site will go to Railway Benefit Fund. A charity that is there for railway people and their families when times get tough. Just from a personal perspective I have seen what they did to help the families of two Drivers that passed away in unexpected and tragic circumstances, and more recently the help provided to the family of one of my team who passed away after a long battle with cancer. This isn't just about financial help. This is about the practical help families need when having to deal with a family member that has passed away and all the processes and paperwork that this can generate. The RBF team know all about how to deal with such eventualities and relieve pressure whilst providing emotional support. Awesome people.

Any support you feel able to provide, would be greatly appreciated :)

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.