I was contacted today by Sophie Backen and the team behind an ambitious scheme to cycle from John O’Groats to Lands End on a conference bike.
A what?
It’s a bike that 7 people cycle at once. A brilliant idea! have a look at their campaign website.
We’ve made a Publicity Heaven donation today and wish them the best of luck.
Here’s the official press release:
JOHN O’GROATS TO LAND’S END ON A BICYCLE MADE FOR… SEVEN!
People from all across Britain are being invited to take part in a charity bike ride from John O’Groats to Land’s End this August. But it’s not just any bike ride. The group will be riding a seven-seater circular bike, all in aid of Cancer Research UK.
The core team of four is lead by Ed Greig, 25, who works for Deloitte, which has chosen Cancer Research UK to be one of its charity partners. He is calling for other supporters to join the team en route to make up the seven needed to pedal the bike. Whether you can stretch to one mile or twenty, or would prefer to help out with accommodation or meal stops along the way, it’s your chance to do something out of the ordinary to help beat cancer. Anyone interested in taking part can book their place on the bike by emailing pedalpower@cobiuk.com.
Going the whole distance with Ed are: Jack Cole, 24, an actor from London and Dylan Williamson, 21, from Dundee. They will be joined by many others along the route including Ed’s cousins, Chris Browne, 25, currently at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst and Chris’ sister, Kate, 23, a recently qualified nutritionist living in London. They are being assisted by Duncan MacCann, a Director at Get Cycling in York.
Ed explains: “Chris and I dreamt up the idea. We’ve been raising money for cancer research charities since Chris and Kate’s mum, Charlotte, died of breast cancer in 1999. There have been many advances over the last ten years that could save people in similar circumstances. Our hope is that the fundraising we do as part of this bike ride will help maintain the pace at which treatments are improving, and ensure that few children have to experience the loss of a parent to this disease in the future.”
Bethan Wood, from Cancer Research UK said: “We’re delighted that Ed and the team have chosen to fundraise for Cancer Research UK with this unique challenge. We really do rely on donations from supporters to fund our work, and this is a shining example. I can’t wait to see how they get on!”
Ed adds: “Our thinking from the outset has been to come up with a challenge that not only covers much more of the UK than any other ride, but that engages with people to give them the opportunity to join in. The idea of CoBi UK is to get as many people pitching in as possible, making this a truly co-operative ride.”
The ride starts at John O’ Groats on 1 August, and the team aims to reach Land’s End on 28 August. The 1,136 mile route will take them from the UK’s tip to toe via Dundee, Edinburgh, Newcastle, Manchester, Birmingham, Cambridge, London and Southampton, including some of Cancer Research UK’s key sites along the way.1
The team will be raising money via Cancer Research UK’s online giving site, MyProjects. The site allows people to donate to a specific project in which they may have a particular interest, especially at a regional level across the UK. It is of particular interest to the CoBi UK project as the team is looking to increase regional engagement and support for the charity’s research centres. If you would like to support the team, visit: http://www.cobiuk.com/donate.html
