Next Sunday I am attempting (for the 2nd time) to complete “L’Etape du Tour”, a mountain stage of the Tour de France they let amateurs have a go at! This year it’s 130km, includes 6 categorized climbs with over 3,600m of ascent. My personal target is to complete it in less than 6 hours.

I’d like to raise money for “Families Need Fathers” (FNF). Those who know my personal situation will understand why this is a cause very close to my heart. I have not been allowed to see my precious son Lenny for over 2 years. As a loving parent, there is nothing more devastating. It has become very apparent to me how much ignorance there is about the cause of such situations, and how few supportive resources, including the legal system, there are to help.

I understand that this is not a cause that everyone will be comfortable with. If you choose not to donate, at least please read FNF’s ‘Aims & Objectives’ on their website. The Family Law courts appear blind to the deliberate poisoning and perpetual alienation that some parents indulge in, leaving the alienated parent feeling powerless, angry and desperate, and a child without the significant love and influence of a critical person in their life. FNF is primarily a support and social care organisation, providing resources and help for desperate parents who feel they have nowhere else to go, like me. They have also been working for 25+ years to raise awareness through discussion and indirect action, to bring about the legal changes that are desperately needed.

I’ve used my cycling as a vehicle to try and stay positive, focussed and healthy, in a challenging period of great sadness. There are some desperate alienated parents, as the news has shown recently, who have chosen a different route. If you can, please donate to FNF, who try to help those who feel driven down a less constructive path. A child has a right of access to both parents, yet there are those who will actively try to deny them that. One day I hope FNF can also influence legal changes that might just finally address this outrageous and immoral scenario.   Thank you.