FINAL FIGURE

I think £2000 was a bit ambitious given the number of riders involved. However another biking event is planned next Spring so we might reach it later next year. But we are now about half way, with over £1,100 including some final off line donations about to be submitted. Thanks to all our sponsors.

Charles Drax

POST MORTEM

WE MADE IT! Six out of the nine riders who started the challenge actually reached the Centre before dark on Day 2. Mild weather and an early start ( 7am) were the key factors. An enormous pat on the back should be given to every single young rider, and one extra for the trio who did both days - Lewis, Ubay and Henry. None of them managed to get up Hartside at the end of day 1. A late start and several bike failures meant that we reached the foot of Hartside too late, so that we had to abort the 1000 feet ascent. Mr Cupit went on alone, reached the summit and then raced down the other side to the hotel. There were no accidents, although Ubay lost a lot of rubber on his trainers when his brakes failed and Mr Drax made Henry P-R promise to get a new bike.

A huge thank you is owed to all our supporters. Purple Mountain's loan of two bikes was a major contribution to our success, because in total four bikes broke down. The radios donated by Apex Radio Systems provided vital communications in Wark Forest and gave teachers the pleasure of sending the immortal transmission 'Broadsword calling Danny boy'! The Cycle Centre's high visibility jackets were worn throughout the trip. And thanks again to Back Consulting for a wonderful logo. 

But I also need to thank the two drivers of the support minibus - Camilla and Hazel, who is responsible for fund raising at Calvert Trust Kielder. Hazel organised all the sponsors, visited the school to tell everybody about the charity, rescued us off the mountain, laid on a final buffet and worked tirelessly to make the event a success.

K2K CHALLENGE

A team of seven NSB boys and three members of staff plan to ride 100 miles from Keswick to Kielder during half-term later this month. We hope to raise £2,000 for The Calvert Trust centre near Kielder, which offers adventure training activities to people with disabilities. Each rider is aiming to raise at least £200 for The Calvert Trust.

The route includes an overnight stop at Alston House Hotel. During the first day we will ride 48 miles from Keswick to Alston in eight hours, following the Coast to Coast route. On the second day we head north to Haltwhistle, cross Hadrian’s Wall, traverse Kielder Forest and follow the bike route from Bellingham to Kielder, covering 52 miles in 9 hours. 90% of the route is on roads or cycle paths.

We did a trial run in August in perfect conditions without mishap (apart from one erroneous choice of route just short of our final destination) and yet we still crawled into the centre at Kielder at twilight after eleven hours of riding. In September new members of the team warmed up with a 27 mile ride around Kielder Water. The imminent hour change and possible difficult weather conditions will  make the actual ride on the 27-28 October a real challenge for our team. 

SPONSORS

Purple Mountain, the new mountain bike hire centre at Kielder Castle, have lent us two spare bikes to replace any that break down, which will help our efforts to maintain a steady average speed. The Cycle Centre in Shields Road, Newcastle, organised a dozen high visibility jackets and offered NSB a 10 % discount on bike and accessory purchases, 2.5 % of which would be donated to the Calvert Trust. Other sponsors include Apex Radio Systems Ltd( 0800 6121046), who provided 4 radios, and Back Consulting (www.backconsulting.co.uk), who designed the k2k Challenge logo.

YEAR 9 VISIT TO THE CALVERT TRUST, KIELDER

Boys in Year 9 saw for themselves the good work done by the Calvert Trust when they spent a day early in October doing a programme of exciting activities at the centre on the south edge of Kielder Water. Edward Swales wrote afterwards: 

We split into three groups and took turns to go around the three activities: The King Swing (a ten metre high swing), indoor climbing wall and team building activities with low ropes and other challenges. All the boys and the teachers found the King Swing frightening but also exhilarating. Doing these activities made us all realise how special the Calvert Trust is, as it gives disabled people a chance to take part in fun outdoor activities that they would never be able to experience anywhere else. 

Jonty Rhodes agreed about the awesome swing: The King Swing, in my opinion, was probably the best activity. You and a partner get lifted as high as you can and when you stop you pull a cord and you fly back down really fast.

Not for the faint-hearted! Hazel Munro, responsible for fund raising at Calvert Trust Kielder, made the boys think what it would be like for disabled people to do the same activities. They all appreciated that giving people with disabilities the opportunity to engage in adventurous outdoor activities is both life enhancing to them and challenging to our preconceptions of disability. 

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