Hello everyone (and please forgive Vicki for not being able to set this up as a proper team page with Rob and Paula - but this is a team effort, not just Vicki!)

Vicki, Rob and Paula are three Tae Kwon Do nuts.  Vicki and Rob are cycling together to support Standing Together Against Domestic Violence.  They are cycling 80 miles from Bedfordshire to Clacton in mid-May 2012 with driving assistance from Paula and then all three of them will be doing a month's hard training, about 9 hours, in the following 2 days, if they are still alive.

The reason they are doing this is because an average of 112 women a year are NOT alive because they are killed by their partner or former partner through the horror of domestic violence, which can be physical, sexual, psychological or financial, and takes place within an intimate or family-type relationship.  This can include forced marriage and so-called 'honour crimes'.  At least one in four women and one in six men experience domestic violence in their lifetime and because so many incidents go unreported, these figures are likely to be much higher.  The statistics and reality get very much worse but we think these details are sufficient enough for you to get the picture.

Standing Together Against Domestic Violence is doing just that - Standing Together is a specialist team that understands and supports frontline services to ensure there is a coordinated approach for victim and survivors of domestic violence - including for example housing, health, children and specialist domestic violence services.  No one organisation can provide everything that's needed, so Standing Together works to ensure services work together to give the best support to victims and survivors.

We know that in these economic times it's not so easy to sponsor people, so we will understand if you can't help, but we're offering you the chance to help, if you can and want to.

So we thank you in advance for any contribution you can make, however big or small - it really will all make a difference and really will help save lives.

Vicki, Rob and Paula