This autumn I am going to cycle from one end to the other of the remote Outer Hebrides of Scotland. This is a ride I have always wanted to do, but have never been much of a hill cyclist (there are some steep hills!), nor have I every cycle-toured alone. I will carry my tent and food with me on my bike, and sleep wherever I end up!

It's a challenge I want to take up, to see if I can do it, and to raise money for a charity which is both dear to me and essential to life on the island in Scotland where I live.

I have been a volunteer crew member of the RNLI – the UK's Lifeboat rescue service (like the US Coastguard, but not government-funded) – for the last year. Every week we train on the boat and on shore, learning how to react in medical emergencies both on land and at sea, and how to rescue those in trouble at sea. We work closely with the UK Coastguard, who provide helicopter assistance to those in trouble on the water or shores. 

Living on an island, with a wild coastline and often-rough weather, our Lifeboat crew are essential to the health and safety of everyone who lives on the island or who visits us, from getting women in the labour to the hospital on the mainland, or rescuing people from sinking boats. We are on-call 24 hours a day, every day of the year. 

My crew are a professional and caring group of people, and we are not paid for what we do. But it does cost a lot of money to keep us afloat. Our amazing boat, our safety equipment, our uniforms, and medical supplies are all paid for by donations from the public – we receive no government funding. 

That is why I have decided to make this cycle a double event – to reach a personal goal and to raise money for the RNLI, which has been a part of my life since I was a kid, when I heard stories from my grandfather about being Lifeboat crew in the 1960s. Having your support will make the huge amount of training that I need to do a little bit easier, and it will help to fund the charity that I care so much about. I hope you can make a donation, however small!

Thanks for reading!

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