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Phil Godfrey, a Rotarian from Solihull, spoke to the club about his 42,000-mile  train journey round the British Isles to raise funds for research into a rare disease, antiphospholipid syndrome (APS).

Having been in a senior position with the railways he travelled at no cost, saving him £15,000.

These are some of the points he made about this rare disorder of the immune system:

• 1 in 6 strokes and 1 in 6 heart attacks among people under 50 are caused by APS
• 34 years is the average age a person is diagnosed with APS
• Women with APS have a five times greater risk of stillbirth
• Women must have suffered three miscarriages before being tested for APS
• Three years is the average time it takes for diagnosis of APS.

Phil’s two-year endeavour, inspired by his late wife’s suffering from APS, raised £149,000, which is now helping much needed research into the disease.