20th RIDE FULL!

- Wed 16th Feb 2005

We have been overwhelmed by the level of interest in taking part in this year’s 20th event, with the 200 rider capacity already reached and a reserve list in operation, anticipating a number inevitably dropping out, for various reasons, before July. We are sorry that some riders will not be able to participate, but there is always the 21st ride in 2006 to look forward to, when we are planning to visit Chichester’s twin city of Chartres.

A new record fundraising year for the Paris to Hayling
A new record £75,000 in pledges has now been reached from Ride 2004, with over £60,000 collected at the time of writing. Committee members are chasing up the riders who have yet to send in their sponsorship collection from last year’s event, so that we can write to the nominated charities and deserving causes, inviting them to attend the annual charity cheque evening at Seacourt Tennis Club, on Saturday 19th March.

Nominated charities
The following are the charities and deserving causes nominated by our riders to receive donations from their fundraising from Ride 2004. Further, mainly local, beneficiaries will be added through the committee making choices to donate funds left at their discretion. A full list of beneficiaries, with the amounts donated, will be included in a future issue.

1st Emsworth Scout Group; Abbeyfield Havant Home; Anthony Nolan Bone Marrow Trust; Appeal 4 Emma; Army Benevolent Fund; Arthursheil Rescue Centre; Barnados; BBOWT; Breakthrough Breast Cancer; Breast Cancer Campaign; British Heart Foundation; CAFOD; Cancer Research UK; CancerBACUP; CCAA; Children's Fire and Burn Trust; Christian Aid; CLIC; DebRA; Diabetes UK; Elizabeth Foundation; Friends of Radiotherapy (FORT); Friends of St Mary's Church; Ghana-Ayesiu Water Pump; Hayling Guides; Hayling Island First Responders Scheme; Head & Neck Cancer; Help the Aged; Hi Y Café; Homestart Havant; Homestart Portsmouth; Ikamva Labantu; International Myeloma Foundation; Jubilee Nursery; Maggies Cancer Centre; Marie Curie Cancer Care; MNDA (Reading); MNDA (S.E. Hants); Mothers Union (HI); Naomi House; National Asthma Campaign; NSPCC; PALS; Portsmouth Hospitals Rocky Appeal; Prebendal School; Psoriasis Association; Rachel Madock's School; Regnum Crossroads (West Sussex); RNLI; Romsey Hospital; RYA Sailability; S.I.D.; Save the Children; SCOPE; Sightsavers International; Southbourne Sea Scouts Disabled Project; St Andrew's Church; St Anthony's School; St James 1st School; St Mary's Maternity Fund; St Peter's Trust; St Wilfrid’s Hospice; Start (leprosy); Sussex Snowdrop Trust; Teenage Cancer Trust; The Lady Taverners; The Rowans (Portsmouth Hospice); Ty Hafans Children's Hospice; Wessex Cancer Trust.

Nigel Woolhouse
It was with great sadness that many riders joined the congregation at Chichester Crematorium on 7th February to celebrate the life of Islander rider Nigel, who recently suffered an accidental death at his home. The ride is now in its 20th year and we have inevitably lost some past riders, but in all cases they have been young, making that loss so difficult to bear.

Practice Rides
This year’s practise rides started with the second Hayling 13 Family Fun Ride on 27th February. A series of weekly rides, appealing particularly to new riders, then gets under way. It is planned that these will be ‘social rides’, leading up to the main event, with country pubs incorporated, so that new riders can get to know the veterans. Anyone can join in, with rides generally starting at 10.30 on Sunday mornings from the Ship at Langstone. Another event, sometimes thought of as a ‘super practice ride’ is the Channel to Channel ride, organised by Peter McQuade. Now in its 6th year, this takes place on the weekend of Friday evening 13th to Sunday 15th May and involves cycling from Weston-super-Mare back to Hayling, via Salisbury. Please call Peter on 9246-3049.

Details for Ride 2005
The 5-Day 418 mile ride goes out in the afternoon of Sunday 10th July from Portsmouth to Cherbourg and the 3-Day 228 mile ride overnight on Tuesday 12th July, from Portsmouth to Le Havre. We shall all be in Rouen on Bastille Day, 14th July, and return on Saturday, 16th July, from Le Havre, arriving on Hayling in mid-afternoon. Entry fees are £345 for the 5-Day and £245 for the 3-Day. Riders are expected to raise at least £150 for the charity of their choice, with entry fees and business support paying for the organisation of the event, allowing 100% of the sponsorship raised to be distributed to the nominated charities and deserving causes.

Phone enquiries to 023 9246 1412 or by post to Paris to Hayling, PO Box 30, Hayling Island, Hants, PO11 9UD. Mobile – 07770-888501.
Website - http://www.hayling-cycle-ride.org.uk

By forum user, PaulFisher