Thank you for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

I have worked closely with the Spinal Injuries Association (SIA) for the last 5 years.  In May 2019 and in 2020 I joined them to raise funds to help them to continue their amazing work to support those affected by spinal cord injury.

Like so many charities they do amazing work but when you consider that 25,000+ per year are diagnosed with a spinal cord injury it amazing how little is known about it or the support they need.

Working closely with the charity its clear how much support they provide.  Its important that they can continue to do this, especially after the last couple of years as they navigated Covid.

Our challenge is to ride over 3 days covering approximately 200 miles through Tuscany in Italy.  This many seem idyllic but having undertaken no exercise for the last 18 months its a serious challenge for me.  

Please support me in my quest.  Will keep this page updated with regular posts so you are kept up to date on my progress.

Spinal Cord Injury - More Information

There are currently around 50,000 people living with a spinal cord injury in the UK, with a further 2,500 people sustaining an injury every year. That means that every four hours, someone will hear the news that they may never walk again.

• There is NO CURE for spinal cord injury, and it is a non-improving condition, meaning that most injuries will lead to permanent, life-changing paralysis.
• As well as the inability to walk, spinal cord injury also has many other debilitating effects, including loss of normal bowel and bladder function, respiratory control and can also lead to depression, anxiety and psychological traumas that take much longer to heal than the physical trauma.
• As few as 30% of people who sustain an injury will be referred to a specialist spinal unit for rehabilitation. That means two-thirds of people who sustain an SCI have no specialist support after injury.
• And only 20% of people who sustain a spinal cord injury will receive payment from a legal settlement - meaning that around 2,000 people a year who become spinal cord injured will need to rely on saving, loans, the NHS and the care system, which often is wholly inadequate in giving them any chance of a "normal" life post-SCI,

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.