Charity leader completes 12-hour New Forest challenge for PEDALL Inclusive Cycling

The cycle lead of a New Forest inclusive cycling charity has completed a 12-hour endurance challenge in the heart of the National Park to raise money and awareness for PEDALL.

 

Operational Lead, Gareth Jones, rode 200 laps of the New Park showground, near Brockenhurst between 7am and 7pm on Wednesday, 18 September. His dawn to dusk ride saw him cover a total of more than 180km before the sun set, which equated to an average of nearly 17 laps every hour.

 

The Pass the PEDALL event saw hundreds of riders and volunteers join Gareth to cycle around the nearly one-kilometre loop using PEDALL’s fleet of specialist bikes as well as on their own brought from home.

 

Regular PEDALL riders from Minstead Trust, Tiptoe Primary School, and New Forest MENCAP were among groups to join the event on the day. New Forest National Park Authority and Forestry England rangers also stopped in to lend their support and join riders.

 

Pass the PEDALL aims to meet a fundraising target of £5,000 that will be used to support 500 new riders, cover PEDALL’s ongoing project costs, fund ride leaders, and build, maintain, and repair the charity’s cycle fleet. It also set out to create a sense of personal and team achievement, increase community awareness, and attract more volunteers and supporters.

 

PEDALL is a partnership project between the New Forest National Park Authority and charity Friends of PEDALL, with support from the NHS and Forestry England. The charity is funded by the National Lottery Community Fund and other generous supporters including South Western Railway.

 

PEDALL Operational Lead, Gareth Jones, said after his ride: ‘I feel surprisingly okay, but my knees are a bit sore and my legs are a bit tight. We have been very lucky with the weather. It’s been a bit windy but the sun’s been out and perfect.

 

‘The support has been amazing. It’s heartwarming to know that PEDALL and the event mean a lot to people – they genuinely appreciate what we do and I don’t think we’d be able to do these things without them, let alone without all the volunteers and the backing of partners like the National Park Authority and other businesses.

 

‘We really wouldn’t be able to do it without our actual riders, so it’s great that so many came along. I just want to say a huge thank you for the support.’

 

Shelley Filby, PEDALL Manager, said: ‘We are an inclusive cycling charity, so we’ve had rides involving people from all different groups and organisations that have additional needs. We’re doing this to raise the profile and awareness of PEDALL and to get more people coming into the New Forest cycling, as well as to raise money for our charity.

 

‘We had a really diverse range of riders throughout the day. We started off with autism classes from a local primary school, through to Minstead Trust, which supports adults with learning disabilities. We also had people with hearing impairments and New Forest MENCAP as well as some of our regular riders who have all manner of either health conditions or rehabilitation needs.

 

‘Pass the PEDALL has been such a fun and joyful event and a celebration of all our amazing riders, our volunteering team, which is the heart and soul of what we do, and Gareth who is our operational lead and has been riding with our groups and individuals for seven years.’

 

Jim Mitchell, New Forest NPA Access and Learning Manager, said: ‘One of the great things about PEDALL is that it can benefit so many different people from different backgrounds. Just being outside doing activities like cycling is great, but it’s about more than that – it’s the community, it’s being in nature, it’s being in the beautiful New Forest National Park together with friends and making new ones as your ride around this track.’

 

Olly Moore, Chase the Sun founder, said: ‘I think cycling is great for everyone. It’s really important for mental health and physical health. I think it’s just a great way to get outside to explore the outdoors and get a sense of nature, and what better place than the New Forest here.

 

‘Organisations like PEDALL bring cycling to groups and individuals who may not necessarily be able to get out independently to cycle on their own accord. So, I think it’s a really great charity for us to support.’

 

Thousands of pounds have been raised as a result of Pass the PEDALL through donations and sponsors including Chase the Sun and JP Morgan. Donations to the Pass the PEDALL event can still be made through the PEDALL website.