Graham March
An old boy on a bike!
Fundraising for Helen Rollason Cancer Charity
Story
Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page which I hope will give you some idea of what made me undertake this Charity Bike Ride and an insight into the wonderful work the Helen Rollason Charity does.
During the easing of the first lockdown I was invited to spend a very pleasurable afternoon at the home of a good friend of mine who also happened to be a colleague who I worked with in the mid sixties.
As we arrived at Bill's lovely house in the small village of Lindsell in North Essex we were met by Jan his wife who informed us that Bill was out riding with a couple of the other guests. After Jan had introduced us to other guests who were enjoying the relaxing atmosphere in Jan & Bill's garden, Bill arrived back after having cycled some of the enchanting lanes that surround the nearby countryside with two guests who had fancied a ride with him.
To cut a long story short and having witnessed many people riding new bikes whilst Carol and I were out having our permitted walk during the first lockdown, it occurred to me that cycling is something I could do not only to get some fitness into a body that definitely needed some maintenance, but also it would allow me to ride in tandem not only with Bill but also with my grandchildren who all have bikes.
Since probably about the middle of October Bill and I have met up virtually every Friday to enjoy each others company whilst having the pleasure of a nice bike ride in a lovely part of Essex. I have not as yet taken up riding with the grandchildren, but once the better weather arrives this is something that I aim to change.
Carol bought me a bike for Christmas and with a lot of good advice from Bill I am now kitted out in the proper gear which means Lycra now adorns a body that realistically is not meant to accommodate such fashion!
I had no idea that when I bought the bike that Suzanne, a good friend of Isabel my daughter-in-law and Robert my son, suggested I should ride in the Helen Rollason Charity Bike Ride on Sunday 16th May,2021. Suzanne is not only a member of the Charity organising the event, but she is a keen cyclist herself and convinced me I would get a great deal of pleasure riding in such an event. She suggested the 10 mile circuit would be a good way to introduce me to this type of event but when I suggested this to Bill he quickly told me that we would be doing the 30 mile circuit.
So here we are at the stage where I have to make an appeal on behalf of all the people that the Helen Rollason Charity support, to sponsor my ride which hopefully will inspire you to give generously so that you will have the satisfaction and knowledge that your donation will really make a difference with the amazing dedication they give to those whose lives are unfortunately touched by cancer. Their Support Centres in Essex and London are vital in helping people whose lives have been devastated by this dreadful disease by providing a range of complementary therapies, including counselling , reflexology, aromatherapy, manual lymphatic drainage and support groups.
The Charity receives no Government funding and is purely run-on fundraising and kindness. So please dig deep and help motivate my legs in finishing this big challenge. Thank you
Regards
Graham
