Intrepid cyclists planning John O' Groats to Lands End to



The young people from my parish who cycled to Rome last year are planning another long distance ride for charity, this time from John O'Groats to Land's End. For those of you from elsewhere in the world, this is well-known here as the longest distance that can be travelled on mainland Britain - in fact, some of them will be starting off from Berwick-upon-Tweed for a 350 mile warm-up. You can join them if you want to, even just for part of the trip. Here is the press release.

CYCLE RIDE
Young Catholics will embark on a mammoth bike ride covering the length of the United Kingdom this summer to bear witness to their faith and raise money for three charities.

Land’s End 2012 is the brainchild of Anna-Marie and Gregory Treloar, who were part of a sibling-trio that cycled from London to Rome in 2010. This time, they are turning their attention closer to home and have invited people to join them to cycle for whatever distance they can manage.

Mary’s Meals, African Mission and the St. Pio’s Friary in Bradford will benefit from money raised by the adventure.
Anna-Marie, 21, a Medicine student, said: “I hope this trip will help us to bear witness to our own faith, as well as supporting some wonderful work that goes on within the Church. “We're planning several prayer evenings on our route to pray for the re-evangelisation of the UK, and involve others who aren't able to cycle with us, in the spiritual focus of the trip. “We're going to pray together each day of the trip, which will culminate in Mass which we will celebrate together with the parish of Penzance on our arrival. “I’m really looking forward to visiting many beautiful places for the first time.”

Anna-Marie is set to cycle an estimated 1,250 miles, starting from Berwick-upon-Tweed to John O’Groats and then turning back south to Land’s End. There are currently eight cyclists signed up for the tour. They will be peddling a combined total of 4,890, a number which organisers hope will increase.

Gregory, 18, who is studying for his A-levels, said: “I am really excited about this cycling trip, not only because it is such an iconic achievement, but also because we will be taking in the amazing countryside of Great Britain, and won't have the challenge of crossing any language barriers.”

Ryan Day, 27, a seminarian studying at the Venerable English College, Rome, will be catching up with the pack when he returns to England from the summer. The Diocese of Middlesbrough student will ride 420 miles from Hull to Land’s End. He said: “It’s important that young Catholics are seen to living active, normal lives and enjoy themselves to the full and that’s certainly what we’ll be doing on this trip.”

Mary’s Meals provides children in the third world with a daily meal in their place of education. African Mission is a small UK based charity that has specific projects throughout Africa, such as providing support for medical and educational schemes.

Closer to home, St Pio’s Friary in Bradford is the home of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal. They run a centre to help the poor and destitute in the city.

The ride is set to end in Land’s End on July 21.
For more details about the project, visit the To Land's End blog , and to sponsor the riders go to their Charity Giving page. For further information about joining the ride, e-mail Anna-Marie at hy8at@hyms.ac.uk.
END

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