Fundraising Mission 2017
Posted on 20th May 2017 at 17:32
This blog is dedicated to my Step Dad Rob (Bob as he was known as to many), my Uncle Idris, Nigel Bundy and to those who I carry ribbons for on my journeys, always loved and never ever forgotten.
Question….
So, have you ever had a brilliant idea, got on board with it, convinced some friends to join in, then wondered why you thought it was a good idea in the first place?! Hmmm that’s where I am now, so let me explain about this “brilliant idea” of mine. Myself and 2 amazing friends of mine are going to tackle Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon, otherwise known as ‘The 3 Peaks Challenge’, it doesn’t end there….
We are going to tag on an extra 11.5 miles as the final part of our trek going around Lake Vyrnwy, on top of that I will also be carrying a heavy weight on my back, you’ll understand why shortly!
Why……
Between the 3 of us we wanted to raise money for causes that we are either involved in or are close to our hearts. My charity will be the Shropshire and Staffordshire Blood Bikes and my teammates will be raising funds for accessibility to Shrewsbury Pengwern Boat Club.
The Story….
On the 23rd December 2014, we lost my Step Dad to a heart attack, he was working as a tree surgeon at the time and collapsed in his cherry picker, he died pretty much instantly, we never got to say goodbye. Since his death, I have raised funds in his memory, I do this by carrying his heavy Stihl steel chainsaw boots on my back, that way I feel like he's walking with me, not a day goes by that I don't miss him, I feel that he's still nearby, watching over. I have so far taken part in 2 x 100k treks raising £3,000 for the British Heart Foundation. I hope if he is watching over he can see how missed and loved he is and always will be.
Also, coming up to 2 years ago, we lost my Uncle Idris, he had a heart attack too, he was one of the kindest and most generous men ever, he was entirely passionate about raising money for Shropshire and Staffordshire Blood Bikes. On his final journey, he was escorted not only by a huge number of wonderful bikers from The Raven Riders, but he also had Blood Bikes surrounding him and our family, it was an incredible tribute to him. The Blood Bikes honoured him by naming one of their bikes after him. My family are so proud and touched by this and we know he would be too.
When I do these treks, I tie different coloured ribbons on my back pack for others who have lost loved ones, it keeps their memory alive, it also helps me push through when exhaustion and pain really kicks in. If you have a loved one who you would like me to do this for please email me and I will carry a ribbon for them also, you can either send one to me or I will get one in the colour that you chose.
The Blood Bike Charity….
The Blood Bikes assist the NHS in their own words "by helping them in their mission of relieving sickness and protecting life and health, by the provision of wholly volunteer-supported out-of-hours transport for urgently-needed blood, drugs, human tissue, donated breast milk and any other urgent medical requirements, both between hospitals and to, or from, blood or human milk banks, together with scheduled collections from breast milk donors".
These amazing volunteers work around the clock to help get urgent items to patients fast, they give up their time to not only be a key part of the collection and delivery service, but they spend their time promoting and fundraising too.
This year we will be carrying purple ribbons in memory of an incredible gentleman called Nigel Bundy, he was a Blood Biker who volunteered his services to help make differences to so many people, a true hero. Sadly, Nigel passed away on the 8th May this year, he completed 92 jobs as a rider on his Blood Bike Elsa. Our deepest sympathy goes out to his wife Helen along with his family, friends and colleagues.
The Adaptive Rowing Cause….
We are all members of the Pengwern BC, a local voluntary run rowing club that prides its self on being inclusive - but we desperately need to raise funds to make the club more accessible to everyone that would like to use it. Our club not only offers rowing and fitness activities but it also provides a hub for anyone wanting to be part of a fun, friendly and supportive environment.
Our biggest issue is the accessibility to our beautiful Tudor building - Built in 1881, unfortunately, without the knowledge of how the people of today would use it.
Its main communal room is located upstairs and houses our rowing machines, bar and the seating area where we all, or some of us, can get together.
On a Tuesday morning we offer adaptive rowing for a group of people who have been paralysed. So far, we have been able to provide the specialist equipment needed to do this but getting from the outside of the club down to the pontoon is tricky and we need more ramps to make this as easy as possible. We would also like, with your help, to ultimately raise enough money to be able to provide access for all to the communal rooms upstairs. As a club, we feel it is so important to take away these needless access issues.
The Team….
My team mates Shazza and Jim will be doing the entire challenge with me, we also have on board our incredible driver Pete who will complete Ben Nevis with us and finally we will be joined around Lake Vyrnwy by the very awesome Glen. I have so much respect for Glen as he seems to have more energy than I do for a start! But this chap has his own challenges going on, he takes part in marathons to raise funds for causes that are close to him, he is also one of the adaptive rowers. We are also very excited about potentially having a Blood Bike join us for the last section, but this does depend on if it is needed for more important activities on the day.
Please help us support these incredible causes, any donation or support no matter how large or small is so very much appreciated.
Donate if you can….
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