Thanks for taking the time to visit our page, please spend 5 minutes reading our story below, and if you can help, please do.  We will all be so grateful.

The 6 of us are have decided to take on the challenge and cycle from Ilfracombe to Plymouth on June 15th, not because our cars are broken but to help raise money for the Derriford NICU Keep Me Close Appeal.  We have all been fortunate enough to receive support or known people who had had to receive support from the wonderful Neonatal team at Derriford and want to help support this wonderful charity.  The ride itself if over 100 miles and includes a climb over Dartmoor, to do this in 1 day is a real challenge.

Please read below for a little more information about this wonderful charity.

"The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Derriford Hospital cares for babies born from around the South West who have either been born prematurely or with other life threatening illnesses. As the ward has the highest level of expertise and equipment, the ward cares for babies from all over the South West and babies are often transferred from other hospitals for a higher level of care when needed. It is the only ward of its type this side of Bristol. In 2014 alone, the ward cared for 1209 babies and their families.

The Keep me Close campaign is aimed at providing new and improved parental accommodation for the parents of babies we care for on the ward. Because of the nature of the babies we care for, the parents of the babies are encouraged to remain close by as, sadly, the lives of their children hang in the balance and we always want to ensure they are close by if we need to obtain approval for some treatment or in the worst cases, so that they can be with their babies in their final moments."

Sadly they can only cater for 4 sets of parents which for most people means having to leave their children every night whilst they go home, something that no parent should ever have to do.  The Keep Me Close Appeal will mean as many parents as possible will be able to stay with their children at such a worrying time.

For more information on our ride please visit, where you can see a rough idea of the route we will be taking:

http://www.cycleroutesuk.com/cycle-route/south-west/ilfracombe-to-plymouth-to-devon-coast-to-coast.html 

Your donation will sent to the Keep Me Close Appeal via the Plymouth Hospital Charity.

 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.