Thanks for taking the time to visit this page. Yes, I really am planning to ride 250 miles across the country. It's not that long since the furthest I rode was a couple of miles to my local station.

That changed in the summer of 2015 when my father-in-law Bill Palmer was cared for by hospice staff at home. Along with the rest of my family, I saw the amazing care and compassion that the hospice provides. They knew exactly what needed to be done and got on with it, allowing Bill to enjoy his last weeks at home as part of a functioning family.

He asked me to make sure we said `thank you' to his `ladies', as he called them (he was an old-fashioned gent), and before he died he knew that I would be taking part in a sponsored cycling event. He was enthusiastic about this because, as a younger man, he'd been a keen cyclist.

As a family we have continued to support the hospice through fundraising. After spending some time as a volunteer, I am now proud to say I work there. It's made me even more aware of what amazing work the clinical staff, and the unfortunate fact that many people who need hospice care are unable to access it. That's why the money raised by this madness will do some good.

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.