Tim & Lucy Smith had planned to ride 1027 miles on their tandem from Lands End in Cornwall to John O'Groats in Scotland over a 12 day period in 2020. They were meant to be be unsupported (no back up vehicle) and carrying all their kit in panniers. For them this is an extreme challenge!

This has long been a dream for the couple. The tandem element crept in when Lucy said that she would love to do it but realised that the only way that she could keep up would be riding tandem.

Unfortunately due the pandemic in 2020 and 2021 the ride had to be postponed so 2022 seemed the year for them! A huge blow for Tim and Lucy happened at the end of March when Tim suffered a serious injury to his spine requiring him to have an operation, and a further operation requiring a 3 more weeks in hospital. Tim wasn't going to let this deter them from fundraising and achieving the dream, and he asked Mike Ives, who was originally going to ride solo all the way (along with Matt Plews), whether he would consider being Lucy's pilot on the front of the tandem. After a couple of long hilly rides and two shorter ones, Mike very kindly agreed. Tim will still be a huge part of the challenge, as he will be driving up to the accommodation and riding back down to meet the team, completing as much as his body will allow. We will be welcoming Jonathan Durnin, our great friend and Welland Valley CC club mate en route, so will look forward to that

All the riders will be self funding their part in the charity ride so every penny raised will go to Thomas's Fund.

Everyone is riding for Thomas's Fund; a charity named after our eldest son Thomas who died in 2004. Thomas suffered from a neurological condition that progressed through his 10 years. Thomas led a very full life but suffered huge physical difficulties that meant he was unable to participate in many of the activities other children take for granted. He took great joy from music and was offered music therapy from when he first started school. Unfortunately music therapy was not available to him outside of school at the times when he was very ill at home or in Hospital. The charity Thomas's Fund was set up by founding member Jan Hall; Tom's music therapist at Fairfields school, with the purpose of providing music therapy for children with life limiting illnesses and disabilities. 

Sadly Toms's brother Harry had the same genetic condition and died aged 12 in 2010. We directly saw the benefits of the charity when Harry received music therapy provided by Thomas's Fund when he also became to ill to regularly go to school, particularly in his last year when he did not go to school at all.

There were many big plans for fundraising events to be held in the lead up to the ride, these have had to be postponed for now, but Tim and Lucy really hope to be able to arrange these in due course.