A note from Rob Garratt:

As you may already know and apologies if I have hassled you about it already, but, I am writing to inform you about a trip which myself and three other boys from Oxford Brookes are undertaking in August 2013.

The four of us are cycling 1,300 miles from Oxford to the North tip of Africa, navigating our way through France and Spain to reach our destination of Morocco. What seemed like a pipe dream has now become a challenging yet exciting reality, thanks to the generosity and belief of the Mark Evison Foundation.

The Mark Evison Foundation was set up following the death of Lieutenant Mark Evison. Like ourselves, Mark studied at Oxford Brookes (Estate Management) before moving onto Sandhurst and finally into the Army. Mark was killed in action whilst patrolling with his platoon (Welsh Guards), in Helmand Province, Afghanistan in May 2009. The foundation aims to keep Mark’s name alive through others who aim to push their physical, psychological and personal development.

We will begin the ride on the 24th August 2013 and we estimate it will take 22 days at an average of 65 miles a day. The journey will take us through traditional French towns and the intense heat of central Spain, combined with breath taking views and lactic acid torture!!

This extremely physically demanding challenge requires hours of dedication, training and mental strength. However, we have set ourselves realistic daily targets and feel it's an achievable task. You can get further information about our plans, route and preparation by visiting our website; www.access2africa.co.uk.

This is where we need your help! Our aim, through donations, is to replace the money which we have received from the foundation so that in the future groups and individuals such as ourselves can achieve a dream or aim of their own. This may not always be possible without the financial backing of the foundation. We think that this is a refreshing and inspirational alternative to the work of many charitable organisations as it promotes a true ‘can do’ attitude amongst our younger generation. We hope you agree.

The easiest and most secure way of donating is via the Just Giving website; our page is Access2Africa (http://www.justgiving.com/access2africa). If no you do not have access to the internet then please send a cheque made payable to Mr R Garratt to; 16 Wood Street, Woburn Sands, Milton Keynes, MK17 8PJ so that I can pay it directly to Just Giving from my own account.

We seriously appreciate any donation no matter how big or small which will aid our fundraising target. Please do not hesitate to get in touch with any further questions you may have. Thank you,

From Rob Garratt and the boys!!