For someone whose life cycling experience until a few months ago comprised ‘to the sweet shop and back’, ‘pottering back from the pub after too much folk music and whiskey’ and ‘that one summer when we decided we’d become ace at ‘mountain biking’ - remember? No?’, to say that cycling the 100 odd miles to the Isle of Wight ‘daunted’ would be an understatement.

To scare the willies from us even more, when we get to the Isle, our cobbled together band will be opening the Big Top stage at the local festival, Bestival. (Although the fact that I have been leant a banjolele for this task makes me considerably happier...)

Why we’re raising the money:

Cancer doesn’t give you a choice. And for those already coping with adversity, the disease is even more prevalent: For folks in the most deprived areas of the UK, cancer death rates are 70% higher for males and 41% higher for females than in the least deprived areas. That’s something tangible Cancer Research UK are addressing through lobbying the government to introduce policies to tackle inequalities in cancer incidence, as well as undertaking research to improve symptom awareness, amongst others.

I’m raising money in honour of my Mum (and her folks) who was a young carer, and who lost half her family to this disease, as well as for my two half-sisters who also lost their mother far too young.

But everybody knows somebody who’s been affected by cancer.

Please give anything you can for them.