Welcome to our fundraising page.

All money raised goes directly to Maggies via Just Giving.

Anyone who’s ever been inside one of Maggie’s Centres will know how special these places are and how vital they are to supporting those affected by cancer. Our cycling group have all been touched by cancer and lucky enough to find Maggie’s. We’d like to give something back to an organisation that has helped us and people like us, so given our fondness for an epic bike ride, we thought that taking on the Hebridean Way would be a fitting fundraiser. We’ll leave London via overnight train on May 24th, getting to the start point of our ride late the next day. Then it’s 4 days cycling 184 miles from one end of the Outer Hebrides to the other. We’d love it if you can support our efforts and follow our journey here.

Karl’s Message…..

My beautiful and inspirational wife Sophie Rigg, mother of our 2 small boys Dylan (8) and Finn (6), died of cancer on September 30th 2022 after 4 years of treatment. During that time, Maggie’s House at St Bart’s became a huge source of support for our family. It was a refuge from the stress and clinical space of the hospital. The incredible staff in this truly special place welcomed us in and still do to this day. Sophie advocated for professional mental health support and Maggie’s has given me that before and after Sophie’s death. I do not know what I would’ve done without Maggie’s and I am so thankful that they are there for those with cancer, as well as their families. Sophie also saw the benefits that exercise had on mental health and how it could offer relief from the stress of living through traumatic times. She encouraged me to run and cycle for the benefits to mind and body and I try to keep it a regular part of my life. Myself and Matt have become close friends over the hundreds of miles we have cycled together. It’s afforded us a space to talk about cancer, being a carer, managing stress, surviving trauma and the importance of looking after mental health. Sometimes we talk about less heavy stuff though, like which ride we want to do next! For a while now we’ve talked about doing the legendary Hebridean Way. It was a ride I first became aware of after watching a program about it with Sophie, who said it looked amazing and that I should do it some time. Matt and I have also talked about our aspiration to do a fundraising ride for Maggie’s to bring awareness to the vital work that they do, so the Hebridean Way seemed like the perfect route to do it on. Maggie’s is doing crucial work to support those affected by cancer, so if you can take the time to donate to our fundraiser and follow our journey, it would be much appreciated.

Matthew’s message….

Our sweet little boy Hari was diagnosed with Leukaemia when he was 4 years old in March 2021. He had a long journey of treatment (3 years) and Hari showed incredible strength and resilience during the 250+ trips he made to hospital in that time. Every day he amazed us with his bravery and smiles but there is no doubt it was incredibly tough on him, at one point completely losing his ability to walk and move about. He now loves riding his bike and completed a 30 mile round trip in September 2023, a real achievement for any 6 year old, let alone one who had been through such an ordeal as Hari. He has now made a full recovery and is back in school full time.

Maggies has been an incredible support for the family offering talking therapy to both parents and a shoulder to lean on, plus an endless supply of biscuits and sometimes even just a place to work while we try to restart both our careers. We would really like to raise money for Maggie’s so that they can continue to do the vital work they do.

Claudia's message

Sophie touched my life in more ways than one and her friendship has left a lasting presence in our lives.

Sophie was kind, creative, funny and had an incredible energy for life that was contagious.

I think about my friend all the time and know that she would be proud of us raising funds for such an incredible charity, that helped her family during hard times.

My other dear friend also found Maggie’s help invaluable while she was going through her breast cancer treatment. She found a listening ear right when she needed it.

Ivano and I will be cycling and completing the ride from Barra to Stornoway, that will no doubt be a challenge for us, thinking about Sophie