Charity bike rides. Why do one? The simple answer is while four wheels can move your body, two wheels can move your soul!
After 12 days riding 1007 miles, 18,508 metres of climbing (Everest is 8,849), 14 hotels, 70 hotel rooms, 36 refreshment stops, over 300 snacks, and one summer heatwave between Land’s End and John O’Groats–our fundraising hero Sue Jones has raised a mammoth £3,545 for Nature’s SAFE.
Tullis Matson said: “We’re all really proud of Sue for doing this for our charity. She has true grit, and we hope her extraordinary fundraising achievement will inspire others to take up the challenge. Funds raised will go towards direct biobanking action with immediate impact – supporting the preservation of over 340 tissue samples and genetics of at least 34 individual animals, making a huge contribution towards preventing animal extinctions.”
Sue took on the challenge of cycling from Land’s End to John O’Groats accompanied by five other senior cyclists, and we believe that it is quite possible that the six, having an average group age of 62 years, could be the oldest group of hopefuls ever to have attempted LEJOG! The six riders are Lisa Rowley, Sue Jones, Simon Mellor, John Friend, Paul Beech, Peter Crinson and supported by Julie Crinson the support mini-bus driver. Their journey spanned twelve days of road cycling.
Sue commented: “The idea for embarking on this ride was for Simon Mellor and I to take on the challenge as we reached 60. I also want to be able to tell my grandchildren the story and maybe they would feel a little bit motivated to tackle challenges themselves as they go through life.“
Nature’s SAFE would like to offer one big thanks to Sue, the cycle team, and over 92 supporters in reaching this mammoth fundraising total.
If you are considering a biking, running or skydiving sportive, then it’s likely you will get back more than you put in. But don’t be under any misconceptions – you do have to put quite a lot in! It takes time to select an event and organize sponsorship, and you may have to put aside time for training. One thing is for sure, you will have a rewarding and challenging time, and raise money for a good cause. And there’s plenty of choice for doing shorter, less physically challenging events.
Don’t miss
We would like to share that although we were not selected to progress further for this year's prize, we are honoured to have been nominated. The fact that our initiative has been recognised as a contributor to positive global change is something to be very proud of.
As a growing charity, we are now looking to expand our scope beyond the UK by establishing global conservation hubs. Our vision is to work with local conservation services to preserve samples from native wildlife within their own country, enabling appropriate stewardship of these valuable resources.
Nature's SAFE Founder 𝗧𝘂𝗹𝗹𝗶𝘀 Matson believes all members of a charity board should get involved in fundraising - from setting out collection boxes, to live auctions, to setting a healthy challenge!
Mandrill
Total Population: Unknown
Pygmy marmoset
Total Population: Unknown
Owston’s palm civet
Total Population: Unknown
Sumatran laughing thrush
Total Population: 2,500 - 10,000 in the wild
Bar-headed goose
Total Population: 97,000 - 118,000 in the wild
African wild dog
Total Population: Around 6,600 in the wild
Black tree monitor
Total Population: Unknown
Mandanao bleeding-heart dove
Total Population: Less than 2,500 in the wild
Macaroni Penguin
Total Population: Around 12 million
Wolverine
Total Population: Around 13,000 in the wild
Nile Lechwe
Total Population: 30,000 - 40,000 in the wild
Little egret
Total Population: 660,000 to 3,150,000 in the wild
Orange-headed thrush
Total Population: Unknown
Common Hippo
Total Population: Less than 150,000 in the wild
Hamerkop
Total Population: Unknown
African penguin
Total Population: Less than 40,000 in the wild
Spix’s night monkey
Total Population: Unknown
South American fur seal
Total Population: Around 200,000 in the wild
Black howler monkey
Total Population: Less than 5,000 in the wild
Collared peccary
Total Population: More than 2,000,000 in the wild
