Spurred on by the success of last year’s Life Cycle, the Vice-Chancellor Professor David Greenaway is getting back in the saddle to raise funds for Impact: The Nottingham Campaign.

The Vice-Chancellor and his team rode from John O’Groats to Land’s End, raising nearly £230,000 for the University’s Sue Ryder Care Centre for the Study of Supportive, Palliative and End of Life Care.

This year — in Life Cycle 2 —the team will be cycling more than 1,100 miles from Cape Wrath, Scotland, to Dover in aid of Nottingham Potential, part of the Campaign’s Nurturing Talent theme.

The Vice-Chancellor, who turned 60 in March, recognises the challenge that lies ahead of him.

Professor Greenaway said: “Last year was an amazing experience. Despite being pushed well beyond our comfort zones, the journey surpassed our expectations in a number of ways. The amount we raised for research on palliative and end of life care was way beyond our initial target, eventually reaching almost £230,000, and the fantastic support we received throughout was both outstanding and humbling.

“However, a new goal is now in our sight. Raising the aspirations of students from disadvantaged backgrounds and supporting them financially to achieve their ambitions is something I feel passionately about. It is a cause which will provide a real inspiration to get back in the saddle for an even tougher challenge, and the motivation to succeed.”

With each mile they cover, the Vice-Chancellor and his team hope to close the gap between social inequalities by providing the means to further and higher education. The University invests £6 million in bursaries and scholarships each year to ensure that those with the ability and ambition to achieve academic excellence are not deterred by their financial situation. Your support for scholarships, bursaries and outreach will have a genuine impact on creating opportunity. Together we can help these students achieve excellence.

Professor Greenaway was raised in Shettleston in the east end of Glasgow, until his father relocated to Nottingham to work at Ratcliffe-on-Soar Power Station. Professor Greenaway was encouraged by teachers to do A levels and went on to study at Liverpool Polytechnic and The University of Liverpool, becoming the first in his family to receive a higher education.

Experienced cyclists can join the VC and his team for the leg into Nottingham on Sunday 2 September, and there will be a family-friendly, mostly off-road, circular ride starting and ending at University Park. All riders can take part in the celebrations at University Park. For those who prefer to keep their feet on the ground, there will also be a community stroll around Highfields Lake, to be enjoyed at any pace.

Social inequality pervades many areas of life but one area in which we can try to close the gap is in access to further and higher education. Your gift will give young people the opportunity to excel academically and benefit from an enriching student experience.

“I’ve led Nottingham’s Widening Participation team for over  10 years and this is the most ambitious project  I’ve seen,” said Penelope Griffin, Head of Widening Participation. “As soon as  I heard the ride was in aid of Nottingham Potential I knew I wanted to take part.”

More information and details of how to donate can be found at: www.nottingham.ac.uk/lifecycle.

Find out more about Nottingham Potential at: http://tiny.cc/UoNPotential.