Our team of 16 people are challenging themselves with a truly epic 1450km 10 day bike ride from London to Barcelona. Traversing three countries, through seven mighty river valleys and over the Pyrenees - Climbing the equivalent of more than two Mount Everest's

We aim to raise £50,000 to support families with children between the ages of 2-5 and on the autistic spectrum. This will pay for a child's ABA individualised thearpy programme for 2 years enabling their parents to build a case for financial support with their Local Education Authority. www.thejoenoakestrust.org

This is a special challenge for my 50th year! I don't usually ask for fundraising and would appreciate you spending a few minutes to support this great cause. Every pound makes a difference so please do sponsor me and the team

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.

Many thanks Mark

PS Follow our progress on twitter #IRide4Joe