Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

As most of you know, I am a keen cyclist and have ridden the gruelling 100 mile Ride London route before. But this year is different because each mile I ride will represent valuable support for the amazing Lyric theatre outreach programme with disadvantaged young people in the local community, which will hopefully spur me on to achieve a personal best time.

I was introduced to the Lyric's community work through Piper (where it has been one of the company's chosen local charities) and have experienced first hand some of the amazing work the Lyric does with young people who are some of the most marginalised members of the local community. They deliver a range of targeted projects that support young people aged 11 to 25 who are either at risk of dropping out of education, NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training), looked after children, young offenders and those with disabilities- providing them with positive experiences in a creative environment to build their confidence and capabilities and help them begin to take greater control of their own lives. I have heard some of the people who have benefitted from the Lyric support talk about the impact it has had on their lives and in most cases it has been truly inspirational and life changing - helping them build confidence and giving them a purpose which has helped then avoid a life of crime or drugs or depression that would otherwide have been facing them.

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.