You can read about Liam and my own training journey below at the bottom of this page....

The pandemic and now the costs of living crisis has hit the lowest communities the hardest and in particular those in developing countries where support has been limited. The sponsored bike ride is an awareness-raising mission on the important work being done by the The ICMIF Foundation to protect the poor around the world from falling further into poverty.

Steve and Liam planned originally to complete the cycle in 2022 but sadly after training all Summer the HM the Queen unexpectedly died. This meant that the planned cycle through London the day after the funeral would just not be possible or appropriate and working commitments meant that finding another week in that year was not possible.

In 2023 Steve suffered a slipped disc so here we are now in 2024 and the guys are fighting fit and raring to go!

The guys will use ICMIF head office as a central hub cycling 500km to different UK locations in the north west of England over 6 days returning each day to the ICMIF offices in Altrincham in August 2024.

Since it was established in 2015, The ICMIF Foundation, has enabled 3 million low-income households to be protected against the financial impact of losing a family breadwinner or unexpected medical expenses by providing them access to affordable and appropriate insurance coverage. In addition The Foundation's partners provide risk prevention and risk reduction strategies for low-income communities to strengthen their resilience and exposure to everyday shocks.

The funding cost per policy delivered under The ICMIF Foundation has been less than one US dollar meaning that a ten US dollar donation will help protect 10 families. Sabbir Patel, CEO of The ICMIF Foundation, explained: “Our charity’s mission is about more than just selling microinsurance policies it is about listening to and helping communities to better deal with their everyday risks. The extraordinary passion and effort from Steve and Liam is being cheered on by all of those we are trying to help”.

Steve said: “This year gives us the perfect opportunity to do something to raise awareness of The ICMIF Foundation and the great projects that it supports''.

He continued: “I was determined to do something big for The ICMIF Foundation this year. I’m always hugely impressed when I read the stories about the policyholders who have benefited from the microinsurance programmes that are supported by The ICMIF Foundation. What the people in the low-income communities supported by The Foundation go through on a day-to-day basis is so far removed from what I’m used to, I just feel absolutely compelled to help in any way that I can.”

Talking of why he is joining Steve on this challenge, Liam said: “I was looking for something big to do to challenge myself physically and when Steve and I combined our ideas, we found our perfect challenge – a 500km cycle ride to raise awareness of The ICMIF Foundation''.

Liam continued: “This is a fantastic challenge and I’m totally up for it! Steve and I started training for the cycle ride a few months ago but now the date is getting closer we are really starting to feel the pressure – and the pain! But we are so motivated to do this and delighted to start sharing our plans with ICMIF members”.

Donations towards Steve and Liam’s 500km Bike Ride to support The Foundation’s work in protecting the poor are welcome via their Just Giving page.

ICMIF members wishing to learn more about The ICMIF Foundation, should visit The ICMIF Foundation website here or contact Sabbir Patel, at sabbir@icmif.org

Thank you for taking the time to visit our JustGiving page.