A NEW RECORD FUNDRAISING YEAR FOR THE PARIS TO HAYLING

- Wed 23rd Mar 2005

A new record £73,639 has now been raised from Ride 2004, to which can be added a further £6,273 as a result of gift aid declarations. This takes the fundraising from the event over the last 19 years to an amazing £658,500, so we have now passed the $1m mark and are round about €1m, with the £1m in our sights during the next few years.  We wonder how much will be raised from this year's huge 20th ride.

Charity Cheque Presentation Evening  

The annual charities cheque evening took place at Seacourt Tennis Club, on Saturday 19th March, with the sports hall packed with the representatives of charities who could come along to accept their cheques. This year’s top fundraiser, Barrie Dawson, was honoured with the presentation of the trophy, and gave a report about how got involved in the ride, his experiences on the event and how he has managed to raise such phenomenal amounts for Head and Neck Cancer, from which he once suffered. Barrie has raised over £18,000 in the last four years, culminating in this year’s record £8,100. Of the beneficiaries, a number of representatives were asked to say a few words about their charity, including RYA Sailability, Cancer Research UK, Southbourne Sea Scouts Disabled Project and CCAA. The Reverend Anne Leonard spoke on behalf of the work done by Carol Bailey and many others from St Andrew’s Church, in Ayesiu, Ghana. It was a very good evening, which gave the opportunity for many to get together to discuss subjects of common interest. Charity liaison committee members Meryl Browne, Lynne Harris and Jenny Phelps deserve recognition for the effort they put in, as does the Hayling School for the loan of the chairs and Rick Gibbs for helping to transfer them.

Donations on the night
The following are the charities and deserving causes, nominated by our riders and committee, who were able to attend, together with the amounts received:
Abbeyfield Havant Home - £192 (plus £25 sent direct); British Heart Foundation - £650 (plus £35 sent direct); Cancer Research UK £6,000 (plus £270 sent direct); CancerBACUP - £500 (plus £500 sent direct); CCAA - £700;  CLIC - £350;  Derek Biggs - £100; Diabetes UK -  £750 (plus £1,218 sent direct); Emsworth Scout Group (1st) - £110; Friends of Hayling Trees - £100; Friends of Radiotherapy (FORT) - £200; Friends of St Mary's Church - £310; Ghana-Ayesiu Water Pump - £350; Hayling Island Community Centre - £100; Hayling Island First Responders Scheme - £375; Hayling 3rd Scouts Group - £100; Hi Y Café - £150; Homestart Havant - £700 (plus £270 sent direct); Mengham Infant School - £350; MNDA (Reading) - £150; MNDA (S.E. Hants) - £150; Mothers Union (HI) - £400; NSPCC - £444; Orchard Close - £100; PALS - £684; Portsmouth Hospitals Rocky Appeal - £150; Rachel Madock's School - £200; RNLI -£350; RYA Sailability - £1,500; S.I.D. - £500; Save the Children - £200; Southbourne Sea Scouts Disabled Project - £650; St Andrew's Church - £300; St Wilfrid's Hospice - £350 (plus £25 sent direct); The CP Centre (SCOPE) - £250; The Hayling School - £ 350; The Rowans (Portsmouth Hospice) - £2,250 (plus £3,182 sent direct).

Other donations
Many of our riders choose to send their fundraising direct to their chosen cause, particularly when they have a close relationship. In addition, quite a number of the charities were unable to visit Hayling, either because they are remotely based or had other commitments. We have also made a number of donations already, particularly where the money raised was urgently needed. The following is a list of these other beneficiaries, together with the amounts donated:
Age Concern - £500; Anthony Nolan Bone Marrow Trust - £150; Appeal 4 Emma - £1,305; Army Benevolent Fund - £800; Arthursheil Rescue Centre - £247; Barnados - £4,733; BBOWT - £450; Breakthrough Breast Cancer - £781; Breast Cancer Campaign - £480; CAFOD - £800; Carers - £340; Children's Fire and Burn Trust - £200; Christian  Aid - £1,000; DebRA - £300; Elizabeth Foundation - £1,276; Families in Crisis (and Godbey House) - £300; Havant Holiday Venture - £300; Hayling Guides - £1,424; Hayling Red Cross - £100; Head & Neck Cancer - £8,400; Help the Aged - £466; Ikamva Labantu - £382; International Myeloma Foundation - £145; Jubilee Nursery - £500; Lana Driscoll - £100; Leukaemia Research - £1,720; Maggie's Cancer Centre - £120; Mary Burras - £250; Mengham Junior School - £350; Mill Rythe Infant School - £350; Mill Rythe Junior School - £350; Naomi House - £1,520; National Asthma Campaign - £150; OSCA - £200; Psoriasis Association - £900; Regnum Crossroads (West Sussex) - £350; Romsey Hospital - £350; Sightsavers International - £525; St Anthony's School - £4,000; St James 1st School - £102; St Mary's Maternity Fund - £900; St Peter's Trust - £175; St Petroc Trust - £135; Start (leprosy) - £50; Sussex Snowdrop Trust - £150; Teenage Cancer Trust - £793; The Futcher School - £100; The Lady Taverners - £450; Ty Hafans Children's Hospice - £500; Wessex Cancer Trust - £150.
   
20th Ride 2005 at capacity
As mentioned last month, this year's ride is fully subscribed, with over 230 riders having applied to enter, in addition to the 25-strong support crew. A recce takes place after Easter, to see if more hotel rooms could be arranged, to accommodate the extra demand. 

Practice Rides
This year's practise rides, appealing particularly to new riders, is now 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

Paul Fisher 21/03/05

By forum user, PaulFisher