Ray’s windswept 1,000-mile quest for Toby and St Luke’s

18th June 2024

He cycled from Land’s End to John O’Groats… then climbed a mountain

As challenging ways to fundraise for St Luke’s go, Ray East’s 1,000-mile, 12-day cycle ride from Land’s End to John O’Groats – battling rain and strong head winds all the way – was no mean feat.

What’s even more remarkable is that the morning after completing his two-wheel quest in memory of family friend Toby Brann, Ray donned his climbing boots to conquer Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in the British Isles.

Safely back home in Plymouth, the 60-year-old ex-military man and retired firefighter admitted it had been a gruelling mission but was worth all the effort to shine a light on St Luke’s care and raise, to date, more than £1,500 for the hospice.

“I did it in memory of Toby who was cared for by St Luke’s at home before he died in March this year. My wife Lisa and I are friends with his mum and dad, Helen and Rob,” said Ray, who carried a photo of 23-year-old Toby with him on his journey.

  • Toby Brann with St Luke’s Nurse Consultant Jen Nicholls

“Cycling from Land’s End to John O’Groats is something that I have wanted to do for a while, but after what happened with Toby, I knew St Luke’s was a good cause to do it for. I was aware of the hospice before, but didn’t realise they come into people’s homes, which makes such a difference.”

Ray, who now works for the DDRC health care and research organisation in Plymouth as hyperbaric oxygen chamber supervisor, keeps himself pretty fit, but after setting off from Land’s End on 29 May, he says it was tough going all the way.

“The cycle was very, very, very hard.”

“The weather was against me the whole time – it was so windy – and I was averaging about 90 miles a day.

“It was a struggle. I am fairly fit, but the conditions were very tough. I do cycle regularly but the furthest I’d been before was cycling to London in a day, but that was a long time ago.
“I’ve never done a big ride one day and got up the next day to do another one, and then another.”

For the first couple of days Lisa followed Ray’s route through hilly Devon and Cornwall in the car, providing snacks and drinks, and they stayed together at B&Bs, but from Crediton right up to Cumbria he was on his own, battling the weather without back-up and carrying all his luggage on the bike.

A mountain bonus

Ben Nevis wasn’t part of the original plan, but Ray’s son, Greg, was joining him at Penrith in a camper van for the second week of the quest, and it was on both their bucket lists to climb the 1,345-metre peak. That meant Ray upping his game to cycle up to 102 miles on long and tiring 12-hour plus days.

“I needed to increase my mileage through Scotland because I wanted to do Ben Nevis with my son at the end and we only had the camper van for eight days. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but my legs are feeling it now!”

Support Ray’s fundraiser

Huge thanks to Ray and his family for such an amazing effort. If you would like to support his fundraising quest for St Luke’s, there’s still time to donate via his JustGiving page.

Read the previous blog Visit Ray’s JustGiving page

Related articles

, ,

BLOG: Megan’s mighty challenge for Nanny Pearl

For many of us, holidays such as Easter and Christmas are when many of our memories with family are made, so they can be particularly poignant when you are missing a loved one. It will be family memories spurring on one supporter as she takes on the Swansea 70.3 Ironman this summer in memory of her grandmother. Megan Williams will be taking on the epic challenge in memory of her Nanny Pearl, who was cared for by St Luke’s before sadly, she died in December 2022.
, ,

BLOG: Affordable, stylish and sustainable: our new Plympton charity shop has opened its doors!

With spring heralding new beginnings, what better time to open our newest charity shop? Featuring rails and shelves filled with carefully curated stock, our new Plympton shop welcomed its first customers this week, eager to see beyond the beautiful window display singing with the colours of the season. Located just a step away from Iceland on the Ridgeway, the new store is full of affordable, sustainable, pre-loved treasures to profit hospice care for the local community. In this case, good-quality second-hand clothes and accessories artfully arranged by colour, plus items of homeware and bric-a-brac.
, ,

BLOG: Remember together at St Luke’s Midnight Walk 2025

Let’s remember together, as St Luke’s iconic Midnight Walk returns on Friday 11 July. Midnight Walk is our family-friendly event, with a heart full of hope, kindly sponsored once again by Michael Spiers. It’s a chance to shine a light on all those very special people who are no longer with us, while striding forward to secure the future of our hospice services at home and in our specialist unit. From young children to teenagers, and from strollers to seasoned, long-distance striders, everyone is welcome to be part of the action. And this year, for the first time, there’s a choice of four routes rather than the traditional three.
, ,

BLOG: How Taimur aced his final Men’s Day Out in spirit

Taimur Huq was a man who lived life to the full and inspired countless people to do the same. Not even a terminal diagnosis and being reliant on an oxygen tank 24 hours a day stopped him setting and achieving new goals. An enthusiastic and loyal champion of St Luke’s Men’s Day Out for the past ten years, the former Maths teacher and outdoor education mentor was determined to take part in last weekend’s charity walk through the city, even though he would need to ride on his mobility scooter. Sadly, Tay died just six days before the flagship annual event, but the success of his mission to raise funds so that others can experience the compassionate care St Luke’s offered him and his family during the last months of his life has now gone way beyond his wildest dreams.
, ,

BLOG: Frankie reflects on 35 years at St Luke’s as she says a fond farewell

t’s hard to imagine St Luke’s without the inimitable Frankie Dee, a dedicated and inspirational nurse whose wealth of hands-on experience and management knowledge led her to become our Head of Quality and Compliance, monitoring, safeguarding and promoting the high standards of end of life care we offer patients and their families. But, after 35 years, Frankie says the time has come to say a fond farewell to the organisation she has proudly helped to be the best it can be, and to the career that has taught her so much about what’s really important in life.
, ,

BLOG: Record-breaking 2,500 put their best foot forward for hospice care

An incredible 2,500 men took to the streets of Plymouth on Saturday, striding out to honour their much-missed loved ones and show their support for the independent charity that provides specialist end of life care for local families. Sunny skies made an unexpected appearance as the biggest gathering yet of big-hearted chaps of all ages turned out for St Luke’s Hospice Plymouth’s Men’s Day Out, setting off from Plymouth Albion rugby ground at Devonport to walk 12km along the waterfront and through the city – a reversal of the route to ring the changes for regular participants.
, ,

BLOG: Like father, like son: London to Paris for St Luke’s

A father and son duo will be pushing the pedals in aid of St Luke’s this summer as they take on a 250 mile cycling challenge from London to Paris. Luke Clement and his 10-year-old son James, from Horrabridge are no strangers to two-wheeled escapades, so their chosen mode of transport for their upcoming challenge comes as no surprise. This summer the pair will be cycling from London to Paris while raising money for St Luke’s. The challenge will be over the course of 5 days and will see them cycling 250 miles, starting at The Tower of London and finishing at The Eiffel Tower.
, ,

BLOG: Danielle’s six halves in six weeks in Toby’s memory

A half marathon is a major challenge for the majority of us, however one of our supporters has decided to take on six in six weeks all in memory of her cousin Toby. Danielle Parkes (or Danni as she is known to many) will be running six different half marathons over six weeks all in memory of her 23-year-old cousin Toby Brann, who died almost a year ago. In his final weeks Toby was cared for by our St Luke’s at home team, giving him the opportunity to make lasting memories with his loved ones, including granting his wish of watching his home team Plymouth Argyle play at home against Ipswich.
, ,

BLOG: Argyle match day with a difference to spotlight local hospice care

Classic Builders will combine football with fundraising as they gift their front of shirt sponsorship to St Luke’s for Argyle’s Sky Bet Championship match against Derby County on Saturday 15 March. This generous gesture from one of the city’s premier construction companies means that St Luke’s logo will emblazon the front of Argyle’s famous Green for this very special home match day as all parties aim to raise awareness and funds to make a vital difference to local families when they need it most.
PreviousNext

Our Care

Support us

Courses

Information

BLOG: Hospice hero celebrates 35 yearsBLOG: George’s peak performance!