Children's Hospices UK Big Boss Bike Ride

Welcome to my new blog where I will be recording my training programme and other interesting things leading up to a charity bike ride I am doing in May this year.

Phoenix Trading, the direct selling greeting card company, has always given money to charitable causes. This money has been raised through the sale of Christmas cards and other targeted fundraising initiatives. Two years ago Phoenix Trading launched a new, independent charity, The Phoenix International Charity, with the goal of raising significant funds to donate to charities in the countries in which Phoenix Trading operate (UK, Australia, New Zealand, France and the USA). To date Phoenix Trading and The Phoenix International Charity have raised over £800,000 for good causes.

The CEO of Children’s Hospices UK, Barbara Gelb, has personally challenged all the senior managers of their corporate partners to cycle 90 miles with her to raise money for this fantastic charity. Barbara has called it ‘The Big Boss Bike Ride’ and I’m going to be riding on behalf of the Phoenix International Charity, the charity arm of Phoenix Trading.

The ride is over 2 days and is from the UK’s oldest children’s hospice (and the world’s first), to the newest. We begin in Oxford at Helen and Douglas House on Friday 21st May 2010 and finish at Demelza House, in Eltham, South East London the following afternoon.

The furthest I have ever ridden a bike before is 21 miles and so this is a big personal challenge for me! I have already started my training programme; a bit later than intended having been delayed by the snow in December and January.

Children’s Hospices UK supports 41 regional hospices whose purpose is to support life limited children and their families through, what must be, the most traumatic and heart breaking period of their lives. As many as 20,000 children are affected and you may well know a family that has needed this support.

Please help me to achieve my personal target of raising £10,000 for Children’s Hospices UK by going to my JustGiving website at http://www.justgiving.com/phoenixbikeride.

Thank you for sponsoring me for this great event. It is quick and easy and totally secure so please donate whatever you can to help me to reach my target. Every pound you donate really does make a difference – so please sponsor me now!

Many thanks for your support

Mike