One of our chosen charity is Crohn’s and Colitis UK. This charity is developing a 5 year research strategy to get new research up and running. Gary & Karen's youngest daughter has Crohn’s disease. Five years ago following a blockage she urgently needed 15cms of her small bowel removed and had an Ileostomy to allow the bowel to rest and the inflammation to settle. Fortunately after seven months she had this reversed.

She has done really well managing her condition; she’s completed her university course and qualified as a Speech and language Therapist. She needs to keep well and take her medication so that she doesn’t become unwell. The surgery has left her with a Vitamin B12 deficiency; she can’t absorb this from food and needs this as an injection. The biggest effect of this disease is that she has chronic fatigue, on a daily basis which makes everyday life really difficult. The charity has included this problem in their research strategy.

Maggie Centres Nottingham who provide help for anyone with any type of cancer and their families and friends. Mark, a good friend of several of our riders was diagnosed with advanced metastatic melanoma over 3 years ago. His condition worsened to the point where on a Christmas Eve he was told, out of the blue, that he had brain tumours and was now terminally ill.  He went straight to the Maggie Centre Nottingamat City Hospital who helped him and his family come to terms with the situation and provided the essential practical, emotional and social support that people with cancer need. The Maggie Centre Nottingham provide a wide range of support that the NHS just can't afford to make available. For Mark it was initial emotional support on diagnosis including professional counselling, help to stay fit and eat well, children’s days to help his children make sense of what was happening and a warm friendly place to go in between treatments, scans and even an escape from the ward when admitted for surgery!