We are cycling 350 miles from London to Amsterdam in memory of Richard Carter and Will Norris who both received care and support from St Christopher's Hospice. Both were sadly taken far too young, Will was 18 and Richard 52.

When you hear the word 'Hospice' you don't imagine people of these ages to be needing their services, but you never know what life has in store.  Both Will and Richard bravely fought their battles with cancer, Will passed away in October 2016 and Richard in April 2018.

St Christopher's is much more than a place to spend your final days. In Richard's words "St Christopher's is somewhere you go to live, not die" Richard spent one day a week at St Christopher's socialising with other patients, trying new activities, receiving counselling and was even able to have a bath.

A nurse at UCLH recommended that Will's family meet Philippa (Clinical Nurse Specialist and Young Adult's Group Co-ordinator at St Christophers) as she would be able to help then when Will was home between treatments. Philippa quickly became their guardian angel and was there for the whole family. She made things happen, and did all she could to make sure that Will could do the things he wanted, He had a very long list of things, and with her help he did most of them.

The level of care given to both Richard and Will was extraordinary. The one thing both families are most grateful for was that they were allowed to pass away with dignity and without pain - this is the greatest gift you can give to the family of a terminally ill loved one. Even after Will and Richard passed away St Christopher's continue to provide care for both families.

The families find it really comforting being able to continue to visit the hospice, as it was the last place that they were all together and ongoing support is available for them.  These visits provide an opportunity to chat with the friendly volunteers or visit the chapel and the memory tree. There is always a warm welcome.

The cost for St Christopher's to provide these essential services is £22 million per year, with £16 million of this having to be  raised through fundraising.  This money is vital for them to continue to help other families in need.

We would be grateful for your support for this worthy cause.

Thanks for taking the time to visit our JustGiving page.

Jane, Steve and Nick

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.