On Thursday 8th September Charlie Marlow-Thomas and I are beginning a cycle ride from Calais to Montpellier in aid of the Tongabezi Trust school, Tujatane. The 1200km ride should take us 9-12 days depending on weather conditions. Our route will take us through Desvres, Amiens, Meaux, Meluns, Beauvais, Clemont-Ferrand (where the mountains begin!) and down through Ales to Montpellier. We are avoiding hostels and hotels and 'bivouaccing' out with just a basha(plastic sheet for rain cover), Bivvy bag(gore tex sleeping bag cover) and a sleeping bag.

Tujatane is a school of over 160 students aged 3-14 near Livingstone, Zambia. It has a very special place in my heart after I spent nearly four weeks over the past two summers as a volunteer there. I spent much of my time as a teaching assistant (and a football coach/ref!) as well as helping out around the school. During my time there, the teachers and the students both inspired me greatly and changed my perspective on life (apologies for the clichés!) and it is for this reason that i cannot think of a more worthy cause.

I believe that schools can be judged on happiness and when you walk through Tujatane and see the smiling faces, you realise that it doesnt get much better than this.

Any amount that you can give, however small (£6 will feed a child for a month!) will be greatly apreciated and I know that every penny you donate will go directly to the school and more importantly to the children.

If you would like to know more please visit: www.tujatane.com

Thanks so much for your time,

Kyri x

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

So please dig deep and donate now.