Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

In September 1998, at a tender 23 years of age, one of my
best friends Karen passed away, just one year after being diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukaemia.  Karen was an inspirational and bright young woman whose warm personality and positive
outlook was boundless. It’s now 20 years on and I felt I needed to do something I hadn’t done before to raise funds to support the charity that Karen’s incredible mum set up in 1998. 

The Karen Morris Memorial Trust is a charity that has raised
nearly £2,000,000 to set up and fund four Karen’s Homes from Home: at Hammersmith Hospital in London, Churchill Hospital in Oxford, Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge and the Queen Elizabeth
Hospital in Birmingham. These homes provide private accommodation for families on site at the UK’s leading leukaemia hospitals at any one time so they can be together through dark times. Each is a haven for patients’ families where they can relax in comfortable surroundings and a safe bolt hole for patients when they can escape the cabin fever of the isolation room, even if only for a few hours.

The KMMT also funds a number of complementary treatments for
haematology patients which would not otherwise be available, but which are proven to alleviate the emotional, and thereby the physical pain of leukaemia patients and bring some comfort to their nearest and dearest.

But the KMMT can do even more. They regularly receive
applications from leading haematology departments throughout the UK to create similar much valued facilities. That is why they need your support.

About the challenge:

I have coerced two fine colleagues at Lendlease, Ed Mayes and Guy Thomas to join me in climbing Mount Ventoux, (on bikes) 3 different ways over 3 days (8-11 Sept).  

Mount Ventoux has become legendary as the scene of one of the most grueling climbs in the Tour de France.  It is a mountain in the Provence region of southern France, At 1,912m, it is the highest mountain in the region and has been nicknamed the "Beast of Provence"

As the name might suggest (venteux means windy in French), it can get windy at the summit, especially with the mistral; wind speeds as high as 320 km/h (200 mph) have been recorded. The wind blows at 90+ km/h (56+ mph) 240 days a year. The road over the mountain is often closed due to high winds, especially the "col des tempêtes" ("storm pass") just before the summit, which is known for its strong winds.

DAY 1: Malaucene Ascent - this 55km ride takes you past the town north of Bedoin before you ascend the northern slopes of Bedoin (1770m climbing)

DAY 2: Sault Ascent - the longest day but perhaps the most scenic, head up the first climb of the day to the plain which the town of Sault sits on. You then head to Chalet Reynard before tackling the climb. 80km distance and 2070m climbing

DAY 3: Bedoin Ascent - 'The' ascent, the
route the tour takes and the most popular route up Ventoux.42km and 1579m climbing.

We are not ‘hardcore’ cyclists, none of us
has ever completed a challenge like this before, and we would very much welcome your support by donating to the KMMT and helping us reach our goal of £1,500.  Any help would be greatly appreciated by us and of course by the Karen Morris Memorial Trust.

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.