MORE than a year after his original plan to cycle the Trans Pennine Trail coast-to-coast ride, CatZero delivery officer David Andrews is back on his bike and ready to roll!
In the run-up to June 2020, David had been training hard for the 215-mile challenge but the fundraising ride had to be postponed as the Covid-19 pandemic took a hold across the UK. Eager to try new things, the start of his initial training schedule was the first time David had been on a bike since he was a child, and it was the first time he had ever used a bike with gears! Now, a year down the line, he is cycling like a pro and ready to hit the trail.
David said: “I am ready and raring to go with the CatZero Coast To Coast Cycle Challenge, which I will be starting on June 25.
“I am staying in a Southport hotel the night before I head off and will be making full use of the all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet, so I am fuelled up for the first day!
“The current Covid restrictions mean that I can safely continue with the journey, so unless something drastically alters before Friday, June 25, I will be going from Southport to Hornsea over three days, arriving on Sunday, June 27.”
All of the funds raised during the challenge will be going to CatZero. David has maintained his bike using his own money and will also be paying for the insurance, hotels and train fare himself. He is also keen to point out that all of the funding CatZero receives to run programmes must be match-funded, so the organisation has to find that money through cycle challenges, sailing days and, for example, CatZero director and skipper Danny Watson’s recent 30in30 Challenge, where he took on a gruelling 30 marathons in 30 days.
The CatZero team as a whole are extremely invested in their work and are, it seems, always up for a fundraising challenge!
David continued: “As of mid-June, the amount I had raised to date was £1,160, including Gift Aid. This has already been put to very good use by supporting families through the pandemic, many of whom have faced the most challenging times of their lives. It would, however, be fantastic if we could raise more as we aren’t out of the woods yet and, pandemic or not, the families we support across the Humber region need our help more than ever. If you have a couple of pounds to spare, please donate and know that every penny of the money you give will be going to CatZero.”
If you would like to support David with his cycle challenge, and donate to CatZero, visit his page at https://uk.virginmoneygiving.
To read David’s story before the planned trip in 2020, click here.