Dear All,

 

In celebration of the 300 year anniversary of RSA, the HR team are riding to London and back from Horsham.

 

At roughly 100 miles, this means we will be aiming to cycle a total of 300 miles...coincidence eh?  Needless to say this will be a massive challenge for all 3 of us, so please do support us in any way you can - words of encouragement are welcome of course as well as sponsorship.

 

The charity we have decided to support is The Miscarriage Association.  As many of you know, Paul and his wife Sarah lost their baby in October, and through this difficult time the Miscarriage association gave them invaluable advice and support.  The Miscarriage Association makes a real difference.  They provide support and information when it's most needed, and the money raised will help them to continue doing that for others in need. 

 

Income from event sponsorship makes up more than a quarter of the MA's £200k annual budget, so every penny you donate will really make a difference. 

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 - we raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

 

We'll try to add in some updates on our training programme...although Dave needs to start by getting a bike! 

 

Thanks for your support, and we'll look forward to reading all of your comments

 

All the best,

 

Paul, Adrian and Dave. 

 

++++++++Update - 9th May 2010++++++++++++

 

Firstly, thanks so much to all of you who have kindly sponsored us.  The generosity is much appreciated, and is proving to be a major motivation for the event.

 

Signs of dedication are breaking out in the team.  Dave has now got access to a proper bike (saving him the embarrassment of using Paul's spare, which has a child seat on the back!).   Paul and Dave did a training ride from Horsham to Leatherhead today, and it remains to be seen whether this will have a positive effect or not!   At least we won't get lost until we get past the M25.

 

Pics to follow shortly, although they are unlikely to be a pretty sight.  Not even Lance Armstrong can look good in cycling shorts.

 

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

WE DID IT!!!!

 

Well, after much banter and joking, we did indeed make the distance!  We left at 5.20 am from a grey Horsham, and made quick time up to London.  Photos in the rain with Thai tourists in front of Big-Ben at 9-ish and then before we knew it Paul was doing a lap round the 1st floor of the office on his bike, to bemused looks from the workers!

 

Our superstar status was confirmed with a pro-photo shoot for the company magazine, and we topped up on cakes and sausage sarnies before the slog back through the urban jungle of South London. 

 

The last few miles were a bit tough, but Dave still managed to arrive in Horsham looking fresh and not remotely tired...he was even going climbing that evening, but that's Dave for you!

A champagne reception at Horsham finished off a tremendous day. 

We are all extremely grateful for the generosity of all of our sponsors, and it's thanks to you all that we have managed to raise a truly exceptional amount of money for a very worthy cause, so thank you to all of you it is genuinely appreciated.

 

Paul Adrian and Dave.