We've cycled the 100-mile RideLondon Surrey event for the past two years, but in 2015 we're doing it with a difference - and for a cause close to our hearts. 

This year we applied for and won places through the ballot, as one of up to 100 tandem teams taking part in this epic bike ride. 

Piers has sourced us a vintage racing tandem, which he is reconditioning pre-race; read all about it here: https://piersjthompson.wordpress.com/2015/04/20/a-new-tandem/

But rather than just riding this year's 100-miler for our own entertainment, we're also fundraising to aid research into a rare and incurable type of muscular dystrophy that affects the two youngest children of some very dear friends.

Matthew and Sophie Newnham, aged 10 and 7, suffer from a degenerative hereditary condition called limb-girdle muscular dystrophy (LGMD). It's a distressing condition characterised by progressive muscle-wasting, gradually lessening strength in their arms, legs and core. It can also affect the lungs.

The children come from an active, sporty family but due to their condition increasingly rely on wheelchairs to get around. In addition to losing their mobility, they are also seeing their arm and upper body strength decline on an ongoing basis. 

The family has had to install a lift to ensure Matthew and Sophie can move around the house independently, beds and bathrooms have been specially adapted, and education and holidays are affected as well as everyday life. 

Thankfully, Kathryn and Mike's oldest child Jamie is not a LGMD sufferer, but imagine the heartache of seeing your two younger children gradually losing their physical strength and knowing there is practically nothing you can do about it.

There is no known cure for LGMD, and only two research programs into the Newnham children's rare form of this condition are currently being funded.

We would love to help support further research into how this progressive and debilitating condition can be slowed, halted and maybe even one day reversed. Your donations are vital for this to happen. 

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.