GVT is a group of 9 close friends who during lockdown, have all morphed into keen cyclists. This was our way of keeping fit and still having an excuse to socialise. Due to the current travel restrictions, our options are somewhat limited, so we have decided to cycle to sunny Cardiff for our annual holidays.This presented an opportunity to raise money for a charity, but which one? We all have charities close to our heart and would love to raise as much as possible, so we have decided to support each charity that means something to us.Our trip will take us through Oxford, into the Cotswolds and then into Cardiff which roughly 200 miles over the course of 3 days. 

On a personal note, I have chosen Crohn's & Colitis UK. Up until recently, I had never heard of either of these conditions, up until this year where I was diagnosed with the latter in May

It is estimated that 1 in 420 people suffer from Ulcerative Colitis in the United Kingdom. For those of you who don’t know, Ulcerative Colitis is seen as an auto immune disease, where the body attacks and damages it’s own tissue. In the case of UC, this is prominent within the Colon, or better known as the Large Intestine. Exactly why this happens is still unknown and it is still unclear as to why this behaviour affects one individual rather than another. 

Nevertheless, Ulcerative Colitis is a chronic (life-long) condition with no known cure at present. Rather,  it is kept under control with strict ongoing medication, that will keep both flare ups minimal and hopefully keep me in long stages of remission. 

Crohn’s and Colitis UK not only supports individuals such as myself living with these conditions by achieving a better quality of life, but also improving services and ultimately one day find a cure. 

Moreover, Crohn’s and Colitis UK focus their work on: 

High Quality Information about the Disease

Both Practical Help and Personal Care 

Working alongside UK Health Sector

Life Changing Research

Ongoing Fundraising and Campaigning

Thanks very much for taking the time to read. GVT 

Max, Andy, Harvey, Chris, Nathan, Josh, Ollie, Will, Lewis