I am cycling the Southern Upland way (Coast to Coast) at the end of August to raise money for Tiny Lives.

The route is 215 miles with over 25000ft of climbing. The majority of the route is offroad and to make life harder I've decided to do it unsupported, meaning I'll be camping or staying in bothies along the way.

There will be no resupply (except shops or cafes along the way)

I have been a trustee for Tiny Lives for the last 9 years. I am now coming to the end of my time on the charity board and thought it would be good to raise some money for the charity rather than helping them spend it!

Many of you will know what Tiny Lives do. For those who don't they are an independent charity whose focus is supporting the families who access the care of the neonatal intensive care unit at the RVI in Newcastle Upon Tyne. This is the unit I have been lucky enough to be a consultant on for the last 13 years and Head of Department for the last 9 years. Tiny Lives not only support the families but also employ staff and support volunteers for the unit. They provide staff training resource and have over the years provided financial support for equipment, refurbishment, decoration. The list is endless.

Without Tiny Lives the work the neonatal service does would be a lot harder. You can find out more at https://www.tinylives.org.uk/

To raise some money I've decided to cycle across Scotland on a route called the Southern Upland way (https://dgtrails.org/southern-upland-way/route/) .

Why did I choose to do this route? I'm from the southwest of Scotland and have always wanted to do this but if I'm honest walking long distances is not my idea of fun. Bikes however...

I have given myself a week (I do need to get back to work!!) It usually takes 12-16 days to walk. To be honest there will be a bit of walking as some of the hills can't be ridden so I'll be pushing the bike up them!

I'll try and post updates as I go though mobile signal is a bit hit and miss and batteries might be an issue!!

I'm hoping the social media expertise of Tiny Lives might help with that. Anyone who knows me knows that I have none of my own.

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

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.