Change Attitudes. Find a Cure. Join us!

In 2008 I was part of a small group of cyclists from the Old Portlians CC, which rode from Land’s End to John O’Groats in aid of the Cure Parkinson’s Trust. This raised £14,000 for the Trust, which, true to the name of its subsidiary company “Movers & Shakers”, has managed to persuade the Parkinson’s community to focus on the need for clearly defined goals that reflect patients’ desires and expectations. You will not be surprised to hear that a cure is at the top of the wish list.

The money raised in 2008 was spent very effectively. The search for a cure is becoming evermore intense; there are a number of research projects currently well into the final trial stage and there are other very promising lines of research in the pipeline.

Apparently, more has been learnt about Parkinson’s over the past 2 years than during the previous 40. All the specialists I have met recently seem genuinely excited about the prospect of finding a cure very soon. This momentum must be sustained.

All this is why I shall be taking to the saddle again this June and joining 5 other (fool-?) hardy gents to undertake the longest self-propelled journey of our lives from Lizard Head in Cornwall, the southern-most point of GB, to as far north as you can go on the mainland, Dunnet Head. Then we will pedal back down to the Mull of Kintyre where we will take a chartered boat across to Northern Ireland ready to ride from the two extreme points there, going from Malin Head down the full length of Ireland to Mizen Head in the south. Finally, after a sea crossing to Swansea, it’s back to London to finish what has imaginatively been named “The Challenge”. We will have covered 2000 miles over 26 days; I suspect I will feel I have aged much more than that by the time we reach the Mall!

Information on the ride, the route, the schedule, maps, riders, patrons and supporters, news about the build-up to the event and ultimately our progress as our journey unfolds, can be found on the following link: http://pedalforparkinsons.co.uk/

The other key link is to our fundraising site:

http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-web/fundraiser/showFundraiserProfilePage.action?userUrl=pedalforparkinsonschallenge&isTeam=true Pedal for Parkinson’s 2011 ("the Challenge") is being widely publicised and is using the Parkinson's UK supporting tag-phrase: Change attitudes. Find a cure. Join us!

So, with this rallying cry, I am once again asking friends and family to join my latest fund-raising quest and the fight to find a cure for Parkinson’s. It would be wonderful if, as before, you are able take up this call to arms and make a donation. Thank you.