Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page - any donation gratefully received - just the 340 miles for me to cycle!

Donations will go to the Higher Education Without Barriers fund, providing opportunities for students from all backgrounds to access and succeed at Northumbria. This particularly resonates with me as my father was unable to complete his University degree many years ago through affordability issues.

The fund was launched in January 2022, to enable motivated students from all backgrounds to access and succeed at Northumbria. So far over £2.3m has been raised and over 2,000 students have benefitted from outreach activities, scholarships, hardship bursaries, mental health and wellbeing initiatives and student volunteering and enterprise activities.

Sport as an enabler of social mobility is an important part of the Fund and money raised from NU-Cycle will provide more students with:

1. Alternate routes into study, with sport scholarships, so they can pursue their degree and develop their talents as athletes, coaches or officials;

2. Sport volunteering and work experience opportunities that will help them to develop new networks and enhance their leadership and employability skills;

3. Learning resources, kit and equipment to reach their potential in sport and increase diversity in the sporting arena;

4. Opportunities to take part in physical activity, developing their teamworking skills, and enabling them to experience the benefits of an active lifestyle; and

5. Mental health and wellbeing initiatives to support them during their studies.

This is going to be a real challenge, especially in October with shorter days and a risk of bad weather, and I'm only just back riding following a knee injury. So, any help you can give would be much appreciated! For more information, go to https://www.northumbria.ac.uk/about-us/alumni-association/connect/communications-news/nu-cycle-2023/

Thank you.