I am riding from one end of the UK to the other in aid of The HALO Trust, the world’s largest mine clearance charity. Although war in the Middle East and Ukraine highlights the immediacy of this cause, HALO operate mine clearance programmes in 26 countries across the globe, all of which save the lives of innocent victims of conflict.

Apart from the very obvious good work that HALO does, there is another reason for my choosing this charity. My father, Richard, worked for HALO in the 1990s and early 2000s. He spent months in Afghanistan, Cambodia, Kosovo and many other places. Although this work clearly appealed to his great sense of adventure, he knew the great difference that HALO makes in the places unfortunate enough to need its help.

My father died of cancer in 2015 aged 49. This seems particularly cruel, especially as he spent the best part of a decade in minefields. If leaving his mark through his HALO work wasn't enough, he managed to pass on his great love of cycling to me, making this the obvious way to raise money for HALO in his memory.

Land’s End and John O’Groats are the two most distant points on the British mainland and are some 850 miles apart by (cyclable) road. I completed this iconic ride in 2016 for cancer charities and took 10 days to do so.

This time I am going to do it in 4. Some simple maths shows that I’m going to have to ride over 200 miles each day, which is a serious cycling proposition and something I am doing my best to prepare for now.

The four stages are:

14th July: Land’s End - Gloucester

15th July: Gloucester - Kendal

16th July: Kendal to Pitlochry

17th July: Pitlochry to John O’ Groats

I would be most grateful for your support - I will need it to get the miles done!

Will