Here we go! Follow our progress on http://bigride4littlelungs.blogspot.com/

STOP PRESS! Using some of the money we have already raised, we have just purchased an ex-evaluation bronchoscope for primary school age children for a greatly reduced price of £14,000, We now need to raise £24,000 in order to buy the little scope for pre-school children. We have reduced the target on the site to £38,000. Thank all for your terrific support so far. Our total is even more achievable! Please make a contribution if you have not already had a chance to do so. We set off in less than a week!

On 30th August, 2011, 3 of us - Alan (Professor of Child Health, pictured operating the kit which we hope to fund), Adam and Neil (City boys, ungifted in medical skills, pictured operating bicycles), will set off on a 1,000 mile cycle trip from Land's End to John O'Groats to raise money for vitally needed bronchoscopy equipment at Nottingham Children's Hospital.  

 Bronchoscopy is a specialised procedure which plays a crucial role in treating childhood respiratory illness. Whilst often associated with chronic conditions such as cystic fibrosis, in which the Nottingham unit is a leading centre, the procedure has wide-ranging applications in relation to looking for and assessing infection in the lungs, dislodging obstruction-creating plugs of mucus, and even checking for the presence of foreign bodies (such as peanuts). Alan's unit performed over 40 procedures last year and the number is going up year on year. We have recently purchased a bronchoscope suitable for teenagers and we now wish to buy two further scopes: one for primary school age children and a small instrument for pre-schoolers. This will ensure dedicated equipment is always available for the treatment of sick children. Each bronchoscope costs around £24,000.

 We expect our ride to take us 12 days- ie over 80 miles a day, with no rest days. This will be a challenge, but the kit which we hope to fund will make the effort (training has already commenced !) worthwhile. We are paying for the trip ourselves, so any donation you make goes straight to the Nottingham University Hospitals Charity - to a dedicated fund for the bronchoscopy equipment. We do hope you will sponsor us. Any amount, however small, will be a great help. Please tick the gift aid box, which increases the donation - at no cost to you.

Many thanks in advance. Alan, Adam & Neil.