On 8th July 2019, my partner Lynn and I lost our son and first child, Munro, after 22 weeks of pregnancy.

One year on, I have decided to do something positive in his memory, and so I am setting myself this challenge in order to raise funds for SiMBA, who provided us with a memory box whilst we were in hospital.  To borrow a quote from their website,

“Leaving the hospital with nothing but a memory box was heartbreaking, but leaving without it would have been worse.”

SiMBA also provide many other forms of support and comfort to families who suffer the loss of a baby, such as support groups, online support, events that bring families together to honour their baby and educational study days to support healthcare professionals.

You can find out more on their website: www.simbacharity.org.uk

THE CHALLENGE... Starting on Saturday 4th July, I plan to cycle 100 miles over 2 days from our front door in Inverness to the foot of Ben Hope - the most Northerly of Scotland's Munros.  (You can view my planned route in the image gallery.)

THE CLIMB... Lynn and I then hope to reach the summit of Ben Hope together on the 8th July, in memory of our boy.

THE ROAD BACK... Following the incredible generosity of family and friends, we have surpassed the original fundraising target of £2000.  As a result, I will be getting back on my bike straight after the Ben Hope climb and cycling the 100 miles back to Inverness!  A deal's a deal!

THE NEW TARGET... Now that (thanks to the incredibly kind support of friends and family) the £2000 target has been smashed before I've even hit the road, I have set a new target of £3000.  I considered adding a new element to my challenge to reflect the increase, but Lynn says I will need the extra motivation just to get her up Ben Hope!  (Hills aren't really her thing.)  So instead of even more physical challenge, think of the emotional challenge when you are considering whether to support me in reaching the new target!

THE EXCUSES!... 100 miles on a bike over two days may not seem all that extreme to some people.  In my defence, due to the events of this year I didn't think this fundraiser would happen at all, so any training that could have been done has generally been replaced with other, not entirely beneficial activities, such as beer drinking.  It was only the recent announcement regarding the lifting of travel restrictions from July 3rd that kicked me in to gear.  If I want to make it back at all, I better err on the side of giving myself plenty of time!  I have also planned in a couple of spare days leading up to the walk up Ben Hope, partly to rest the legs, but also to give us some flexibility if the weather forecast doesn't look favourable for the 8th.

THE IMPACT...  By donating, you can help to ensure other families receive the same support and comfort that Lynn and I did during a hugely difficult time.  I have included the following information to help you to visualise the impact that your support could have:

• £10 would allow SiMBA to gift a small memory box acknowledging a tiny baby under 14 weeks gestation
• £35 would allow SiMBA to gift a medium box to support families who lose a baby between 14-23 weeks gestation 
• £40 would allow SiMBA to gift a large memory box to support families whose baby is lost over 24 weeks gestation 

(Please note that these costs also include a small donation to support SiMBA.)