A big thank you for helping us smash our target!

Thank you and congratulations to all of the riders for completing the 130 Challenge.

Collectively, the riders, led by Alumni President Ollie Sidwell, have raised over £2,400 to support students who have found themselves in financial hardship during the COVID19 pandemic.

Thank you to everyone who has supported the riders and the challenge!

If you would like to get involved in future challenge events like these, and fundraise for worthy causes to support the Lougborough family, please contact: alumni@lboro.ac.uk

We are cycling to raise money for students in real hardship due to the effects of the outbreak. These students are really struggling. Please give what you can to support me and my fellow riders on the 130 Challenge. Every penny counts and is truly appreciated.

Why do I need your support today?

An Emergency Hardship Fund was set up in March to raise money for students who have been financially impacted by the outbreak of coronavirus. This has already been significant and will likely worsen over the coming months. 1 in 4 Loughborough first year students come from low income backgrounds. We have 3,641 international students at Loughborough, not all of whom have been able to return to their home countries, and now face real difficulties due to costs they simply hadn't budgeted for.

I was inspired by the success of the fund, which has raised more than £53,000 for those students most in need, and alongside Tony, the Dean of Loughborough University London campus, I have decided that I want to do my bit to support the fund and help students who need us the most at this difficult time. The fund will need more support going forward, as the effects of this outbreak will be felt for a long time, and we need to ensure we can support those students in real need at every step of their Loughborough journey.

Will you please join me in supporting these students?

A gift to supporting me in my 130 challenge and to those of my fellow cyclists will mean a great deal to all of us. It will keep our spirits high as we press on with this challenge. And I can assure you that your gift will mean a great deal to those students for whom this fund is a real lifeline in these unprecedented times.

What does a gift to the fund look like? Here are just a few possible ways your support might make a difference:

Who's participating in the 130 Challenge?

Alumni

Thomas Baker, BSc Geography 2005

Dr Thomas Corbett, PhD Civil and Building Engineering 2019

Manuel Costa, BSc Management Sciences 2006

Ashleigh Day, BSc Geography 2014

Tim Hurst, BSc Ergonomics 2005

James Lewis, BSc Sports Science and Physics 2006

Nick Proctor, BSc Business Economics and Finance 2006

Oliver Sidwell, BSc Geography and Management 2007

Richard Sutcliffe, BSc Sport and Exercise Science 2005

Rob Taylor, BSc Sport Management 2012

Dr Duncan Walker, PhD Aeronautical Engineering 2003

Staff

Professor Cees De Bont, Dean, School of Design and Creative Arts

Professor Tony Edwards, Dean, Loughborough University London

Sarah Fisher, Engagement Assistant

Professor Rachel Thomson, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Teaching

To those who are supporting us, thank you. Your generosity will ensure that we can provide essential support to those students who may have no one else to turn to.