On Sunday 14 October, the Ride for Rowcroft cycle challenge will be returning to the picturesque surroundings of South Devon to raise vital funds for Rowcroft Hospice.
The previous two events have helped raise more than £100,000 to help support the 2,000 people cared for by passionate and dedicated Rowcroft Hospice staff each year. In 2017, more than 450 participants took on the challenging 24km route, taking in breath-taking views through Chudleigh Knighton, Bovey Tracey and Teign Valley.
This year’s event will launch a new challenge, a 32km, up-hill course, the ‘Haytor Hillclimb’. For riders looking for a smoother Sunday ride, ‘The Classic’ route from previous years is still available. Covering tarmacked roads with country lanes and a surfaced cycle path, this is ideal for cyclists looking to complete their first challenge, beat a personal best or simply spend a morning cycling through the countryside with friends.
Double Olympic and 9 x World Champion cyclist Victoria Pendleton CBE is encouraging cyclists to sign up and fundraise for the event. “I encourage as many people as possible to take to the open road in the beautiful South Devon countryside for this great event! Whether you’re a regular cyclist going against the clock (or your friends!), a group of friends who enjoy riding together, or you just fancy challenging yourself to complete the course, I really hope lots of people will join in to make this the biggest and best year yet. Cycling is a fantastic way to get outside, to be active or just to spend time with the family, and it helps us all look after our physical and mental wellbeing.”
“Fundraising events such as Ride for Rowcroft raise vital funds to help people living with a life limiting illness across South Devon to make the most of every moment they have with their families. Every pound raised makes a huge difference so please sign up today and support the amazing work the Rowcroft Hospice do in your community. And you’ll have lots of fun on your bike along the way too.”
Victoria is also a partner of Halfords who are kindly supporting Ride for Rowcroft with donations of competition prizes and supporting riders with free bike checks and 10% discounts at the Torquay and Newton Abbot stores.
All riders, including young riders, are encouraged to collect sponsorship to help support the ongoing care Rowcroft Hospice provides for people living with life-limiting illnesses in South Devon.
Rowcroft Events Manager, Stewart Molyneux said: “Every entry helps us to continue to the much-needed support offered to people and their families, so I would encourage everyone to sign up as early as possible and fundraise as much as they can. Every penny truly makes a difference!”
By signing up to the challenge, you are helping Rowcroft support people in the local community like Dean Elson’s family. “When my wife and I came back from a holiday, we were given the shattering news that Mum had been diagnosed with Stage 3 Ovarian Cancer. When the cancer became aggressive, Rowcroft provided her with help at home and she went into Rowcroft’s Inpatient Unit for two weeks of symptom control. The care she received from everyone at the hospice, and the fact nothing was too much trouble, really hit a cord with her. I remember her telling Dad she wouldn’t want to be anywhere else, now or in the future. After returning home, Mums health took a turn for the worse and she went back to stay on Rowcroft’s Inpatient Unit. It was there that she spent the last few weeks of her life under the care of the loving nurses who did everything they could to make her comfortable, and to be there for my Dad and the rest of the family. We couldn’t pick out individuals to praise as everyone did their bit to make Mum’s last days as good as they possible could.”
“Ride for Rowcroft is a fantastic event for all the family. Any event supporting our wonderful hospice means so much to the families who use the hospice, and become dependent on the wonderful services and amazing staff”.
To sign up today visit www.rideforrowcroft.org.uk , minimum sign up age is 12 years of age. We ask that all participants wear a helmet, feel confident riding on roads with traffic and have lights fitted on the front and rear of bikes.