Our son Charlie was born 8 weeks premature on 09/05/23 at Bedford Hospital, weighing just 3lb 12oz. He was moved immediately to the Meadowbank Neo-natal intensive unit. He spent his first 30 days in hospital, cared for by the amazing staff on the Meadowbank ward and at Addenbrooke’s NICU, before coming home on 8th June.

Charlie’s about to turn 2, he’s now a big boy, with a big appetite, and a huge sense of fun. It’s hard to believe he was so tiny when he started out in the world. But we’ll always be incredibly grateful for the care and support he received when he needed it the most. Those 30 days have had a profound effect on our family, and we have wanted to give back in whatever way we can.

The care Charlie received was second to none. And it was all provided on the NHS. Funding a NICU is expensive, but the level of care the babies receive there means that so many babies leave the ward to grow into big healthy children and adults, something that simply wasn’t the case not that long ago.

At the end of April, Lexie and I will be cycling the North Coast of Scotland, almost 500 miles in 8 days. We’ve been training hard for months to be ready, around jobs and a toddler, covering over 3,500km between us since the start of the year.

Charlie will be coming with us, joining in on the adventure alongside his Nanny and Grandad. As well as creating memories, we want to try and raise as much as we can for the Meadowbank Ward, and have set up this page as a way for people to make donations.

Thank you for whatever donation you may be able to make. We’ve not set a target, but whatever we raise will be going to an incredible cause, and we appreciate everyone that is able to support us.

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.