Sheffield to the Somme Charity Bike Ride

28th June 2018

Well after a very late finish early this morning (1am after severe euro tunnel delays!) the team returned after a very successful 400 mile (nearly) trip to the Sheffield War memorial at the battle site of the Somme.

We started this year's charity challenge with three objectives in mind and I think we were successful in achieving them all: - Firstly we did something good for the wider city and recognised the contribution and sacrifice that previous generations have made for our future. By hitting the £20k target we are able to move forward works to benefit the visitor experience at the Sheffield War Memorial to the fallen at the Somme. Such was the generosity of you all that we are also able to make a good contribution to our other charities of the Royal British Legion and the Yorkshire Air Ambulance. Money is still coming but we are hopeful that in excess of £5k will be shared between these two other great causes. Secondly in the same way that the Sheffield PALS came together in the great war, we assembled a team from across the city, from Meadowhall, to the City Council and other key partners such as Irwin Mitchell and South Yorkshire Police. That sense of coming together in pursuit of a common cause struck a chord with the team and the team work and camaraderie was clear to see. And finally there was a great element of personal achievement across the whole team, whether it was in the satisfaction of working together or cycling up one of the most extreme climbs I have been on, called the Koppenberg climb (look it up, it is quite a challenge) to the training challenge and endurance of individuals that had barely been near a bike since they had a Raleigh Grifter. All in all a great team effort of riders and support team that came together to do something good in a true city partnership. If you made a donation to this great cause then thank you and if not there is still some time to do so and our just giving link is below. https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/darren-pearce9 Finally I thought you would like to see a few of the photographs from along the way, from the town hall in Sheffield all the way to Bapaume and a couple of well-deserved beers at the end. Best regards Darren Pearce Centre Director Meadowhall, Yorkshire