When we heard that icomply customer, Mark Babington (Safer Travel Manager for Centro, the organisation responsible for the delivery of public transport in the West Midlands) planned to cycle, with two friends, from the northern most point (Malin Head) to the southern most point (Mizen Head) of Ireland, our immediate calculations turned to ‘amount of Guinness likely to be consumed.’ Upon learning more though, we decided that Mark’s quest deserved to be shared with our network; along with this call to action:

“PLEASE GET GIVING ….”  

Why? Well, because Mark and his team have accepted this challenge, taking 6 days to cycle 427 miles, with some days being as long as 84 miles, in order to raise much needed funds for Marie Curie Cancer Care (although, they admit that it is not out of the question that some Guinness will be consumed along the way, as, apparently, “it’s good for you”).

Mark explains more: “As a team of 3 friends, our aim is to raise £7,341, the cost of running our local hospice for the day. If we are successful it will provide care and support for 24 residents and 40 outpatients.

“All 3 of us believe this is a really worthy cause and have been truly inspired by the hard work of Marie Curie staff, supporting patients and families in really difficult times.”

Now, we know for a fact that Mark had not ridden a bike in 20 years (he didn’t even own a bike when he registered for the challenge), and that the preparation hasn’t been easy (Mark is up at 5.30 most mornings to go to the gym, and out on the bike in all weathers). We also know for a fact that the care and support that Marie Curie gives to over 40,000 terminally ill people and their families each year is priceless. So we asked Mark what how our money could help. Here’s what he told us:

“Well, just £20 pays for a Marie Curie nurse to look after one patient for one hour in their own home; £180 pays for a full 9 hour shift for a Marie Curie nurse in a patient’s home; £235 pays for one days attendance at a Day Therapy unit in a Marie Curie Hospice and £515 pays for the cost of caring for an in-patient in a Marie Curie Hospice for a day.

We’re going to donate, so, come on, help us give Mark and his friends an even bigger reason to get up at silly o’clock in the morning to train:

please dig deep and get giving …here’s the link to Just Giving