I’m climbing Everest for charity in May 2024.

Just before you reach for your iPhone and call me to say “don’t do it - you are too old!” - may I please explain that I’m going to climb the equivalent height of Mount Everest on my bike and in France’s Southern Alps.

Yes - that’s 29,030 feet (8849m) in just 6 days - an average of 4,838 feet (1474m) per day.

Not quite the real thing but I can assure you that it will be a test of my fitness and resilience.

My cycling partner will be Steve Turnock and I’ll be using the occasion to raise some funds for Steve’s charity - Asto Clinics.

Asto provides funding for a virtual clinic that treats people suffering with the debilitating disease of OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder).

As Chair of the Trustees, Steve comments:

Approximately 1 in 5 adults in the UK have a mental health problem

Only 31% of individuals in the UK with a mental health problem are in treatment

750,000 people are thought to be living with severe, life impacting, OCD in the UK

We have now started treating our patients with our OCD treatment programme, but need to raise funds to continue providing more treatment programmes.

With the current pressure on the NHS, together with the awareness of mental health issues, there has never been a better time for people to support our venture.

63 people have now attended our group therapy programme, and we have had some extremely encouraging results.

If you would like further information about Asto and how you might get involved, please visit our website at www.astoclinics.com .

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this, and thank you in advance for your support.’

I’d be hugely grateful for any donation that you can make - 100% will go directly for use by the clinic in the provision of help to patients.