I'm raising money for STAR (Student Action for Refugees) to support their vital work to improve access to university for refugees and people seeking asylum.

I am going to take on the Land's End to John o' Groats cycle ride as the ultimate cycle challenge in these islands. It is a challenge I have been putting off for some years but now the time has come. Apart from the physical test it involves, I see it as a way to experience the country in which I have lived for most of my life. Even so, I will visit many places I have never been to before; and others I have on many occasions.

Yet to do this without giving support to a worthy charity would seem a wasted opportunity.

For that, and other reasons, I want to support STAR in the work they do extending a welcome to those seeking asylum and refugees. Not everybody has the chance to live their life in the place where they were born or of their choosing.

I especially value the efforts STAR make to encourage sponsorship and scholarships within the university sector in this country for those who have had to flee their homelands in the most distressing circumstances. It is my view that if we can do anything to ensure a sense of welcome that has practical foundations this must be one of the best ways.

As a former academic, I would, of course, say this. But, even though offering opportunities to continue and develop education among students who have arrived here unexpectedly is an act of charity, those of us already here also gain so much from such a gesture. We discover the values embedded in other cultures from which we can learn; we come to gain a better understanding of our own place as a country in the world; and we have the opportunity to demonstrate the best that this country can offer to the world.

I sometimes complete online surveys where the questions ask how proud you would be if you knew that a relative or friend worked for a certain company or organisation. My daughter, Siobhan, works for STAR. I am very proud that she does.

I hope you will sponsor me on this ride so that she, and all those who do such unstinting work at STAR, can continue their valuable work.

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STAR is the national network of students building a more understanding and just society where refugees are welcomed as equals in the UK. Working together we:

Volunteer locally providing direct support to refugees, building understanding and cultural connections

Campaign nationally for policy change and opening up access to higher education to refugees

Learn about refugees and the asylum journey with experts and peers