At the end of March 2007, my stepfather was diagnosed with a grade 4 glioblastoma multiforme and given months to live.  He actually survived almost a year, thanks in part to the role St Ann's Hospice in Manchester played in his treatment.

The staff at St Ann's provide end-of-life care for around 3000 terminally ill people every year, completely free, but they have to find £16,000 every day on top of the state funding they get to keep the place open.

One of the things my dad always wanted to do was the Brighton Friday Night Ride to the Coast, but he never got the chance to do it.

Late last year, I discovered that the first ride of 2012 coincided with the fourth anniversary of his funeral. So I decided to do it.

I'd never done anything like it before in terms of length or hills (I'm looking at you, Ditchling Beacon) - but I was determined to do it, in his name, and I did! It took about six hours in the end, including a middle of the night tea stop for cake and sandwiches near Gatwick Airport, and I arrived shattered but jubilant just in time for breakfast, four years after I said goodbye for the last time.

And I got to make the lives of patients St Ann's Hospice a little bit better doing it. Please continue to donate now, even though I've hit my target - every little bit helps.

RIP Michael Brundish Sutton, 1951-2008.