UPDATE:

Following a series of unfortunate events (read: a flooded flat, 2 house moves, covid isolations, bike accidents and a chest x-ray), we'll be doing the 50 miles this time round. But with the total elevation almost as high as Snowden, we can promise the challenge is still worth your donations. We'll be posting updates along the way, so stay tuned for more of Jess and Alex cycling really really far for Parkinson's UK! 💙

It’s been said that some things are best done with two. So when in 2013, when Alex started fundraising for Parkinson’s UK it only took two challenges (a bungee jump and a trek up Morocco’s Mt Toubkal), for Jess, an amazing friend and Speech and Language Therapist with first hand experience of working with Parkinson’s patients, to join in.

Since then, we’ve fundraised together every year, running half marathons in Paris and Tromso and laughing (and possibly crying) our way round a Tough Mudder. In 2019, Jess ran the London Marathon and Alex cycled Prudential Ride London (50 miles) and in 2020, we teamed up with colleagues to do a virtual 1000km challenge (which ended up as 2176.2km, go team!).

Over the years, we’ve calculated that you’ve supported us to raise an amazing £9343.47 for Parkinson’s UK. This year, we’d like to make it to £10,000 so we’ve set ourselves up for the biggest challenge yet: a 100 mile bike ride. In Scotland. And yes, it is going to be hilly.

Parkinson’s isn’t just a cause we picked randomly. In 2011, Alex’s dad was diagnosed with the disease and his life, and that of his family, changed. The future we had imagined for ourselves became less clear, and slowly filled up with hospital appointments, changes to speech and movement and an uncertainty about what would come next. But with that lack of clarity came space to make sure that others didn’t experience Parkinson’s the same way we had, and so, with Jess, we ran, we jumped through troughs of icy water, we cycled and we fundraised. Because in the face of something impossible, this was a way to make a difference.

Fundraising makes a huge impact on Parkinson’s UK (PUK):
•    £100 allows PUK to answer 10 calls on their helpline offering immediate support and assistance to people who need it.
•    £450 would fund the PUK Brain Bank for half a day helping researchers around the world in the hunt for a cure
•    £1500 would fund a life changing home adaptation for someone living with Parkinson’s through our Mali Jenkins Fund.
•    £2500 would allow PUK to provide a nursing service for those with no local support for 2 weeks.

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.