Phyllis Tuckwell’s first ever Pedal to Paris challenge has raised over £100,000 for its new Hospice build.
Caption: Cyclists celebrate in front of the Eiffel Tower.
32 cyclists set out from the Hospice site in Farnham to cheers of support from the many who came to wave them off. They followed a 333km route through Lewes to Newhaven, via ferry to Dieppe, and through Forges-les-Eaux and Cergy-Pontoise to arrive in Paris four days later. Two of Phyllis Tuckwell’s staff, Dr Fiona Barley and corporate fundraising manager Sarah Blake, were among the cyclists, as was the charity’s chair of trustees, Dr Robert Laing, whose term as chair commenced on the second evening of the ride.
All of the money raised has gone directly towards funding the construction of Phyllis Tuckwell’s new Hospice. This state-of-the-art building, which is due to open next spring, will enable the Hospice Care charity to support thousands of local people every year, who are living with an advanced or terminal illness, such as cancer.
“Thank you so much to everyone who took part in this amazing challenge,” said Fiona Chapman, event fundraiser at Phyllis Tuckwell. “There was such a wonderful atmosphere and such good spirit throughout the whole cycle ride, and it was really moving to see everyone complete the last leg together and arrive at the finish line as one big team.”
The cyclists completed the ride in stages of 10-15 miles so that anyone behind could catch up before the next leg began. They all supported and got to know each other really well, as they cycled alongside different people at each stage of the ride. Everyone had their own reasons for taking part: some were fundraising in memory of a loved one that Phyllis Tuckwell had cared for, while others were staff members or volunteers who wanted to support their cause. Nine were from Beard Construction, who are building the new Hospice, and another was from Hi-Speed Services, one of Phyllis Tuckwell’s corporate supporters. Hi-Speed Services also generously sent a van to collect all the bikes on the last day and take them back to Farnham for the cyclists.
Phyllis Tuckwell would like to thank both Beard Construction and Hi-Speed Services for their support. Thanks also go to Cycle4Good (C4G), a non-profit organisation who planned and arranged the whole trip. Its team accompanied the riders throughout the challenge to provide directions, support, bike maintenance and basic spare parts as needed.
All our services are free, but this is only possible due to the generosity of our amazing community. The Government/NHS only provide 25% of our costs, so we need to raise over £30,000 every day to provide our vital services.
Please donate what you can to help keep hospice care available to all those in our community who need us.
