I’m Charles Morton, and with the support of my lifelong friend Matt Ruddle, I’m taking on the challenge of cycling from John O’Groats to Land’s End in just 11 days, covering around 900 miles.

I’m doing this to help raise funds for Living with Hearing Loss CIC and, just as importantly, to raise greater awareness around deafness and hearing loss.

Living with Hearing Loss is very close to me. I’ve watched it grow from strength to strength over the years, quite literally from our kitchen table, looking across at my wife Amy Morton, the founder, as she turned her own lived experience into something that could support and connect with others.

I also have my own experience of hearing loss, having a severe sudden sensorineural hearing loss in my left ear. It has given me a greater understanding of some of the everyday challenges hearing loss can bring and why awareness, accessibility and the right support really matter.

The money raised will help Living with Hearing Loss continue the work it is already doing, including creating more social events across the country, strengthening the community it has built, developing the podcast, supporting campaigns such as Captioning for Live Music, and helping to create better opportunities for children at Heathlands School for the Deaf.

For me, this challenge is about more than the miles. It’s about helping to start conversations, raise awareness and support a community that deserves to be seen, heard and better understood.

If cycling 900 miles can help make a difference, then every mile will be worth it.