In September I will be “donning the lycra” to cycle 80 miles a day for three days, crossing Ireland from Galway to Dublin, to raise money for a wonderful cause. I am all too aware that you will have been inundated with requests to sponsor many heroic acts for worthy causes; this is a one-off request to support a special cause for a heroine of mine.

My great friend Sarah Greene passed away nearly four years ago after a courageous battle with breast cancer. She was unlucky enough to have the triple negative strain, a particularly virulent form of this terrible disease. I was honoured to give the eulogy at Sarah’s memorial service where over 400 people heard tributes to one of life’s great givers. If you ever needed an example of God taking his best early, here it was.

Following Sarah’s death, her husband Peter together with their children Harry and Georgie and a group of close friends committed to do all that they could to help find a cure for this disease. The Sarah Greene Breakthrough Tribute Fund was set up and a sponsored bike ride to Paris raised £380,000 in 2008. Every penny of this sum raised and a further £40,000 since has been invested in a dedicated new research unit in Guy’s Hospital. Following the first ride, a highly talented doctor was appointed as the Sarah Greene Research Fellow. The current fund raising will pay for a new Fellowship, for which an excellent doctor has been identified and provisionally hired.

In May I was lucky enough to spend an afternoon at Guy’s meeting the oncology research team and to hear where the money is going to be spent. It was a hugely impressive experience marked by the optimism and dedication to a singular cause of winning the battle against this disease. A smiling photograph of Sarah hung in pride of place in the lab – not being a natural scientist herself I can see her chuckling at being in the presence of genius!

I am joining a team of 70 cyclists, young and old (myself in the latter camp!), to cross the Emerald Isle from Galway to Dublin. We are aiming to raise £400,000. Every penny that I and the team raise will go to fund the fellowship and I am aiming to raise at least £8,000, even in these straightened times.

I am most grateful for your support.

Thank you.

Mark