”Bike to the Future” is a sponsored cycle expedition around the globe. The aim is to raise both funds and awareness for good causes through sponsored challenges and fundraising events. The project will also engage with local charity projects I come across on my journey, and stop to work with them where possible. I will document the journey through a blog and video diary, in a hope to inspire action and promote awareness of the causes.
Please see below for my two main charities I am hoping to raise money for:
The Lake District Calvert Trust provides residential outdoor activity courses for people of all ages with physical, sensory, learning, behavioural and/or mental disabilities. Its mission is to challenge disability through outdoor adventure. Pioneering equipment adaptations, and intensive, instructor-led activity programmes (that include climbing, abseiling, canoeing, sailing, horse/trap driving, archery, orienteering and paragliding), provide an environment whose aims are to teach, challenge, motivate, engender confidence in ability, promote independence, and foster integration. All instructors are highly trained and specialist qualified, and the facilities are specially adapted and fully accessible to all. The Lake District Calvert Trust provides a unique and life-changing experience for those with disabilities, who are encouraged to believe that it’s what you CAN do that counts.Please click below if you would like to sponsor the ride and help me raise £5,000 for the Calvert Trust.
SolarAidconfronts humanity’s greatest challenges – climate change and poverty – by harnessing humanity’s greatest resource, the extraordinary power of the sun.98% of off-grid rural Africa remains enslaved to the kerosene lamp for lighting. Kerosene isbrutally expensive, consuming an average of 20% of household income for lighting alone – and it’s also highly dangerous, toxic to inhale when it burns, and accounts for more deaths around the world than malaria.Founded by the solar industry in 2006, SolarAid delivers affordable solar energy to Africa’s poorest off-grid communities to replace kerosene lighting. The organisational mantra is very much a ‘hand up’ not a ‘hand out’, with business solutions playing a fundamental role in its approach. Along with the social enterprise vehicle, SunnyMoney, the organisation has made huge strides with catalysing the local market for solar across four countries – Kenya,Tanzania, Malawi and Zambia. To date, over 100,000 SunnyMoney solar lights shine in homes, schools and clinics in these countries.But the charity has huge ambitions. It has recently announced its audacious goal of eradicating kerosene lights from Africa altogether by 2020 – so it needs all the help it can get.
Turns out raising money for two charities and splitting it is quite complicated. So I have decided to use two Just Giving pages and leave it up to people which charity (or both!) they would prefer to sponsor. Bother are great causes, and through Just giving the money will go straight to the charities – if you would like some more info on where the money will go and who will benefit pleasecontact me for more info.
On the Road:
I am currently researching and contacting charities and projects on my route that I hope to get the chance to visit and offer help where possible. If you would like to recommend a charity, or are a charity and would like to work with me please get in touch.
