I have signed up to cycle across Madagascar together with a team of 25 McDonald's employees, franchisees and suppliers in November to raise money for Ronald McDonald House Charities.

From Thursday 3rd November 2016 to Saturday 12 November 2016 we will take on a 500km cycling challenge across Madagascar.

Ronald McDonald House Charities is an independent charity providing 'home away from home' accommodation and support for families with seriously ill children being treated at specialist children's hospitals. House are free for families to stay for as long as their child is receiving specialist care, whether that is for a couple of days or for years.

Houses are built on the simple idea that nothing else should matter when a family is focused on the health of their child - not where they can afford to stay, where they will get their next meal or where they will lay their head at night to rest.

Ronald McDonald House Charities runs 358 Houses worldwide and has helped over 5.7 million families to date.

There are currently 14 Houses across the UK, supporting over 7,300 families each year. However demand for accommodation is far higher than can be met.

The charity is currently in the process of building three new Ronald McDonald Houses which are located in London, Cardiff and Edinburgh; at a cost of c. £20m to the charity. Once open these Houses will provide an additional 100 rooms a night. Accommodation for a family costs the charity £25 a night.

What could your support help to provide....

• £50 pays for a duvet, sheets and pillows for a bed
• £100 can equip a house with toys and materials for a playroom that can help siblings adjust to their stay in our Houses
• £500 will help us buy a set of sofa and chairs for the quiet room in a Ronald McDonald House
• £1,000 will buy a TV with a console and games for the teenagers' lounge area
• £2,000 will provide a set of beds for one room, keeping a family of four together in a time of need
• £5,000 will provide laundry equipment for one of the Houses, allowing families to maintain a degree of normalcy whilst their child is in hospital
• £10,000 will equip the communal kitchen for the use of 10 families
• £60,000 will build a quite room for families, allowing space for some privacy or additional support from visiting family and friends
• £100,000 will build an en-suite bedroom in a new Ronald McDonald House for a family

By sponsoring our Madagascar Cycle challenge event you will be helping to support even more families with desperately ill children being treated in hospital across the UK.

Please give generously to help me achieve my goal!