Team Yabbitus Cycling from Munich to Rome for Brian House Children's Hospice

Team Yabbitus is a group of friends from Blackpool, who are committed to supporting their local Children’s Hospice, Brian House. In May 2012, five cyclists undertook their inaugural challenge for Brian House, aiming to raise much needed funds, create awareness about the Hospice, and inspire others to take action.

2012 – Blackpool Tower to the Eiffel Tower

2013 – Blackpool Tower to Munich’s Olympic Tower

2015 – The Eiffel Tower to Leaning Tower of Pisa

2019 – Cycling 7 countries in 7 days

The last challenge in 2019 saw a team of twelve come together to raise over £40k. To date, they have cumulatively raised £112k through their efforts and are aiming to raise £25k from this latest challenge in June 2025.

The team is unique, as each challenge they undertake, they self-fund, personally meeting all costs for the trip. That means that every penny raised goes straight to Brian House.

This is not just a financial sacrifice for the team - it is the time taken to make this happen. From time away from their families to the planning and execution of the event, which takes around 12 months to complete. There are also hundreds of hours of training in the saddle needed to reach the required fitness levels.

Brian House Children’s Hospice

It is a sad fact It is a sad fact that some lives are short – at Brian House, our staff and volunteers specialise in making happy memories. The team at Brian House ensure the children and families are supported to make the most of every day by packing all sorts of experiences and creating cherished memories.

Brian House is the only Children’s Hospice on the Fylde Coast providing respite, palliative and end of life care for children and young people with life-limiting conditions. We care for youngsters both during the day and overnight and support their families at every step of what can be an unpredictable journey.

It costs around £1.4 million each year to keep Brian House open, with all services provided FREE of charge. With very little government funding, Brian House relies on kind donations to continue caring for children and families in our local community.

What is the challenge?

This time the team has expanded further, so 16 cyclists, plus a driver, will take on this expedition. The 7 day challenge is over 825 miles in distance and 46,000 ft in elevation – and the aim is to raise £25k in the process! On 14 June 2025 they will depart Munich and cover demanding mountainous terrain, alpine valleys and long winding roads that eventually lead to Rome. Along the way, they will pass through Pisa, significantly completing a loop of Europe connected by iconic towers.

How you can help

Team Yabbitus would love you to help them achieve their goal in 2025! There are a broad range of opportunities to support them with, depending upon the sort of activity you would be interested in. This could range from sponsoring a shirt to donating a raffle prize or helping them towards their £25k target on Just Giving.

They will be holding various events throughout 2024 and 2025 to create awareness and raise funds towards their target.

You can contact them through

Email - munichtorome25@gmail.com

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/munichtorome/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/munichtorome

TikTok - @munichtorome25

Members of Team Yabbitus

Adrian Baker, Allan Curphey, Andy Charles, Chris Brown, David Charles, Dominic Baker, Ian Hooper, Ian Roberts, John Charles, Lea Kelly, Mark Broadbent, Mark Walsh, Matthew Skipworth, Michael Roberts-Hodgson, Neil Thomas, Nick Perks, Sean Egan, Warren Jones

Recognition

In 2013, the Team were recognised through Blackpool Council’s ‘100 Acts of Kindness’ award scheme for their achievements to date.

In 2015, the Team were awarded a ‘Hero’s in the Community Award’ by their local Radio Station – Radio Wave. This was for services to Brian House through their efforts to fund raise and create awareness.

In 2019, the team were awarded the ‘Local Heroes Award’ by The Gazette at a prestigious celebration of 125 years of the Blackpool Tower – the very place the team set off on their first charity ride in 2012.

Thanks for taking the time to visit our JustGiving page.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.