Pedalling parents raise £7k for children’s charity
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Five parents have raised £7,121 for Sussex’s only children’s hospice by cycling from Land’s End to John O’Groats. The team completed the 900mile challenge in ten days – arriving just in time to see the Olympic flame fly off to Orkney.
The sponsorship money will pay for the whole operation of Chestnut Tree House for one day – including specialist care for children and young people at its home from home near Arundel. Despite being the only facility of its kind in the county Chestnut Tree House receives just nine per cent of its costs from government. It relies almost solely on the generosity of the people of Sussex.
Nicknamed the Fab Five, the intrepid cyclists are Dave Wells from Eastbourne (43), Julia Hook from Thame (43), Hailsham husband and wife team Liz (41) and Grant Chatfield (43) and Grant’s uncle Mick O’Rourke who lives in Oslo. Mick celebrated his 60th birthday on day three of the ride.
To encourage extra donations Liz’s colleagues at Mayo Wynne Baxter arranged a prize draw for everyone who used the team’s Just Giving site. Brighton law firm, Mayo Wynne Baxter, have been active patrons of Chestnut Tree over the last year and continue to raise money in support of the charity.
Congratulations to Nigel and Lucy Hoad from Bromley who won Champagne afternoon tea for four at Brighton’s Hilton Metropole. Mick’s company Yara Praxair AS donated £500 and contributions from bystanders en route came to £100.
The team managed to avoid the worst of recent downpours, staying just one day ahead of floods that spread through the South West and Yorkshire.
Mother of three Liz Chatfield said: “It was very funny arriving at John O’Groats as the Olympic torch came to town. Like having a massive welcoming committee – until we realised it wasn’t for us! We met lovely people along the way and saw some mad things. On the road to Perth we were overtaken by a lone carnival float of The Cat in the Hat made entirely from tissue paper – it felt like exhaustion-induced hallucinations!
“The whole team are very grateful to everybody who donated and so pleased to have beaten our fundraising target of £6k. Chestnut Tree is the most incredible place for kids.”
The cyclists funded all expenses of the trip and every penny went straight to Chestnut Tree House. The whole family mucked in, with Dave’s wife Clare driving the support van and Mick’s wife Helen on lunches and Deep Heat duty.
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Weather for Eastbourne
Friday 24 May 2013
Today
Light showers
Temperature: 5 C to 11 C
Wind Speed: 22 mph
Wind direction: West
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Sunny spells
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