Update 23/5/10: The Pywells have pedalled! 7 miles isn't a huge distance for us, but bear in mind it was 31 degrees (so we opted for ordinary trousers, rather than Lycra shorts) and, as two of the pictures show, there were some hills which gave us lovely views of Surrey and London. We managed to miss the deer, too.

Thank you very much for your support. 

In October 2006 Barry was diagnosed with a very rare form of lymphoma. He spent most of the next five months as an inpatient at the Leukaemia and Lymphoma Unit in University College Hospital, London, where the care that he received was outstanding. The expertise of the nurses undoubtedly saved his life on more than one occasion, and the "extra-curricular" services provided by the LLU - including massages, counselling and even a surprise birthday party with a chocolate cake - hastened his recovery and have helped our family life to return to normal.

To celebrate the fact that he's been in remission for three years, we're proposing to throw self-respect to the wind, encase our buttocks in lycra and join 147 other people in propelling ourselves seven miles by pedal-power around Richmond Park.

There's no entry fee for this event, so every penny that you donate will go towards providing post-graduate education for nurses and funding the ancillary services are so important to people suffering from serious illnesses. There is even a chance that the Open University, Steph's employer, will match the donations on this page, so please give generously.

And spare a thought for the Richmond Park deer - our efforts to steer round them will be directly proportional to the amount of sponsorship we raise...