250 Mile Cycle Ride For halow Project
Over 70 cyclists set out on an adventure from Putney to Portsmouth via France
It was an emotional sight as the peloton of over 70 riders departed from Putney, all cycling 250 miles in 48 hours to raise funds for halow project, the Surrey charity that supports young people with a learning disability to lead more independent, meaningful lives.
The Boathouse, a lovely Young’s pub on the river in Putney was the venue for registration and breakfast for the riders. Young’s have been a great support to George and Mark from 2Boats, who have organised the ride for the past two years.
Leaving in three groups, the riders were bid farewell by 1996 Formula One World Champion, who is Patron and a founder of the charity which supports his son, Oliver who has Down’s Syndrome.
The riders headed for Portsmouth, where a reception was held for them on board HMS Warrior, before departing for St Malo. They arrived early on Saturday morning, then cycled a further 150 miles around Northern France before re-embarking on the ferry at Caen.
Arriving at Guildford Rugby Club at 2pm on Sunday, they were greeted by a huge crowd and the shire horses and dray from Youngs.
halow is a young, vibrant, organisation that works with young people aged 16-35 with a learning disability, communication difficulty or special need with varying degrees of severity. halow is passionate that the people it supports have the right to expect the same life experiences and opportunities as any other young person.
Chair of the halow Board of Trustees, Matt McArthur was on the ride, along with his wife, Maxine. Matt commented:
“We've all had a such a journey this weekend, some lows but plenty of highs and everyone has dug deep to achieve their own personal ambitions whilst combining together to raise a wonderful sum for halow. I I think we can all feel justifiably proud of ourselves. I'd like to say is a very big thank you to all those involved in the planning and logistics for this event because without it I'm sure many of us would still be cycling somewhere in France now! Finally a big thank you to all those that kindly sponsored our riders, we really appreciate your support."
May 9, 2013