Get in gear and cycle from London to Paris in 2017 for your local hospice.
Following the recent success of their Hospice Team 100, St Elizabeth Hospice has now launched their next cycle challenge and they’re now recruiting individuals and groups to be part of it.
St Elizabeth Hospice is teaming up with their neighbours, St Helena Hospice to organise this joint event, which will see 60 people riding in support of each hospice from London to Paris between 19 – 24 September 2017.
The cycle ride will begin in London on 20 September after an overnight stay in provided accommodation. They will then pedal the 300 miles to Paris over four days.
The event is set to raise around £60,000 for each hospice and is an ideal chance for locals to take on the challenge of a lifetime, make life-long friends and try something they never thought they’d achieve, whilst raising vital funds for people living with a progressive illness.
Joanne Rodger, St Elizabeth Hospice’s events and challenges fundraiser, said: “We are really excited to launch our next London to Paris cycle ride, especially after the enormous success of our Hospice Team 100 this year, which saw 51 local supporters take on the challenge, raising an incredible £100,000 for us.
“It will be great to see some new faces, and hopefully some familiar ones too and we’re eager to get as many people signed up in the next few months as possible so they have plenty of time to train and fundraise, and also to bond as a group and work together towards the challenge.”
This is the first time the St Elizabeth Hospice and St Helena Hospice have worked together on a fundraising event like this and both teams believe it’s a great opportunity to spread the word about hospice care across East Suffolk and North East Essex.
As the cycle ride takes place in September 2017, anyone who signs up now has just under two years to train and raise sponsorship money. Participants are asked for a minimum sponsorship of £1,900. This amount of money could fund a nurse for two and a half weeks and ensure patients don’t have to face their illness alone.
Miss Rodger added: “People of all cycling abilities and experiences can take part and everyone who signs up will be supported with their training and fundraising from now until they return from Paris.
“All the money raised from this exhilarating experience will go towards providing care and support to patients and their families wherever it is need, whether at home, in the community and at the hospice.”
An information evening is being held on Tuesday 6 January from 6.30pm – 8.30pm at St Elizabeth Hospice in Foxhall Road, Ipswich, for anyone interested in finding out more and signing up.
This will be a chance for people to learn more about the challenge details from staff at Skyline, the professional charity events company leading the trip. Plus, some of the hospices’ past cycling event participants will be there to share their experiences of taking on a 300 mile event for the hospice, and explain their reasons for taking on this upcoming challenge. This will be the first opportunity for potential participants to sign up to take part.
Attendees can register on the night and the hospices are offering a split-payment option of the non-refundable £99 deposit for anyone signing up in January 2016.
For more information about the London to Paris Cycle Ride please contact Joanne Rodger, events and challenges fundraiser at St Elizabeth Hospice on joanne.rodger@stelizabethhospice.org.uk or visit www.stelizabethhospice.org.uk/londontoparis