Rockinghorse supporter, Richard Rutter, is taking part in a cycling challenge which will see him travel the length of the UK.
Joined by fellow cyclists Darren Wilson and Mike Watson, he will tackle the legendary John O’Groats to Lands End cycle all in the name of charity. Richard has kindly chosen to support Rockinghorse and his cycling buddies will also support causes close to their heart.
Together, they have targeted themselves to raise an incredible £3,000 to be split between their three chosen charities. With determination behind them, they have already smashed their target and are looking to raise even more funds.
Their JOGLER’s challenge is no mean feat and will see them cycle a scenic 960-mile route from the North East tip of Scotland to the South West tip of England. They will be supported by Darren’s wife, Sue, who will drive a support vehicle for the trio.
It is estimated that the challenge will take them 12 days. They will travel up to their starting point at John O’Groats, ready to begin the challenge on Saturday 14 September and aim to arrive at Lands End on Wednesday 25 September.
Richard is Co-Founder and Managing Director of Clearleft, a strategic design and innovation consultancy based in Brighton, just around the corner from the Rockinghorse office. We spoke to him to find out more…
How is your training going and have you ever done anything like this before?
“Our training is going well. We’re all in different parts of the country – Darren is based in Devon and Mike is in Essex – so we’re mostly training on our own. I’ve just come back from a holiday in Mallorca where I got to spend a fair bit of time riding up pretty big mountains.
I’m a keen cyclist and have ridden 100-miles in one day, so it is something I’ve done a few times before. However, 960-miles in the space of 12 days is a different challenge altogether!”
Why did you choose to support Rockinghorse?
“I have two young children; Gracie who is eight-years-old and Laurie who is five-years-old. When they were toddlers, there were various times when they needed to go to hospital and were admitted to the Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital in Brighton.
During such visits, I noticed there were toys and items supplied by Rockinghorse which really helped the kids to relax. In particular, there were little pedal cars that the children could use to travel to the consultant’s room. It turned the whole experience into an adventure. I thought it was a wonderful touch and have remembered it dearly, since.”
How have you been raising funds?
“We’ve been reaching out to everyone in our address books and posting on social media (primarily Twitter and Facebook). Also, my company Clearleft will be matching all the contributions from Clearleft staff.”
Can we keep up to date with your challenge during the journey?
“Absolutely. I’ll be tweeting from my Twitter account @clagnut and plan to do a bit of blogging via www.clagnut.com. We’ll also add our progress to Strava, so enthusiasts can follow us at www.strava.com/clubs/joglers.”
Best of luck to Richard, Darren and Mike ahead of their epic challenge. We look forward to hearing how they get on! You can support Richard via his Virgin Money Giving page, by clicking here.
About Rockinghorse
Our charity is best known as the official fundraising arm of the Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital (the Alex) in Brighton. We are also a vital supporter of the neighbouring Trevor Mann Baby Unit (TMBU) and its sister site, the Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU) in Haywards Heath.
In addition, we also support children’s wards at hospitals across Sussex, specialist neonatal units, respite centres and children’s services in the county.
To find out more about our projects and how the funds raised by Richard will make a difference, please click here.
