Tag Archive for: cycle

Tour de Moor
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BLOG: Tour de Moor, the South West’s boldest charity cycling challenge returns for 2022

Tour de Moor

Get on your bike in St Luke’s 40th anniversary year, for an exciting challenge in aid of compassionate care and support that positively impacts families affected by terminal illness. 

Our popular Tour de Moor biking challenge returns to the rugged wilderness of Dartmoor on Sunday 9 October. Sponsored by Print Copy Scan, a local supplier of printers and copiers, we will be offering cyclists an adrenalin-packed adventure: a hill-filled, 52km mixed terrain route of mud, sweat and gears all in aid of St Luke’s Hospice Plymouth. Cycling at its fiercest for those aged 12 and above!

Alternatively, participants of 9 years or older can take it down a gear and saddle up for 30km of tough riding over hills and through woods, and there’s also the ‘mini moor’, a gentle 11km ride along the tarmac paths of Drake’s Trail that’s suitable for all the family.

Tour de Moor

Not only does Tour de Moor cater for all cycling abilities, it also raises vital funds for the specialist care we provide for patients and ensures they can make precious memories with loved ones in their final months, weeks and days. Funds raised will also help us to continue to provide essential bereavement support for patients’ family and friends.

Having welcomed our first patients to Syrena House in Plymstock in 1982, today we care for patients in their own homes, at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust and at our specialist unit at Turnchapel. Our critical service runs 365 days a year, covering Plymouth, South West Devon and East Cornwall.

Penny Hannah, Head of Fundraising at St Luke’s, said: “If ever there was a time to get on your bike to help keep the wheels of our specialist service turning, it’s this one – our charity’s 40th anniversary year.

“Over the four decades since St Luke’s began, it has been our privilege to have made a difference to many hundreds of local families. So, if someone special to you was looked after by our team, taking on the challenge of Tour de Moor is a fantastic way to pay tribute to them.

“Regardless of your motivation for participating though, our epic event is a great combination of fitness and muddy fun. With three classic routes to choose from, it’s ideal for families as well as more experienced cyclists who really want to push themselves.

“Every hill climb will be worth the extra effort because the sponsorship money Tour de Moor raises is needed more than ever to help St Luke’s meet the rising demand on our service. We want to be here for the next 40 years – and beyond – to ensure that no-one in the local area misses out on the high-quality care they need, and deserve, at the end of their lives.”

Tour de Moor

Director of Print Copy Scan, Karl Welburn, said, “St Luke’s has given four decades of superb service, helping local families who rely on the team’s care and support at the toughest time of their lives, but as a community we must never take what the charity provides for granted.

“We’re proud to sponsor Tour de Moor again, especially with this year being the 40th anniversary of the hospice. All the money raised by those taking part goes directly to bespoke care for terminally ill people living in the local area.”

The Tour de Moor challenge departs from 8.30am at Harrowbeer Airfield, near Yelverton, and finishes there.

Sign up for the challenge here. Registration costs £35 for the 52km or 30km route, and £15 for the 11km route.

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BLOG: Biking bravehearts smash Compass Points Challenge

Biking bravehearts smash Compass Points Challenge

980 miles by bike in just ten days? They smashed it!

We’re in awe of the brave bunch who took on the epic challenge of covering England – north to south and east to west – on two wheels in aid of our charity, despite being relatively new to life in the saddle. Achieving all this in just ten days makes it all the more remarkable – that’s up to 11-and-half hours’ cycling a day for each of them!

Though the pandemic put paid to their plans to cycle to Barcelona last year, Dan Turner, Becky Smith, Tony Dinham, Jake Ryan, Max Hembroke and Jordey Logan could not be deterred from getting on their bikes for us and hatched a new plan. And – when the going got really tough – memories of their loved ones cared for by St Luke’s spurred them on, mile after gruelling mile.

As part of their route, which saw them cross the Meridian Line, go over (and under!) rivers and pass stone circles, they made a special stop-off at Turnchapel to meet some of our nurses who were there to cheer them on.

Dan said: “We’d never done anything like this before and there’s no denying the challenge felt brutal at times, but we were spurred on by memories friends and family cared for by St Luke’s, including my mum and my nan. We’re determined to give something back to the charity to say thank-you for such superb care. It’s the least we can do to support such a vital resource for our community.”

Huge thanks to all the cyclists, plus their support team Al Filbey and Chloe Dinham. We’re also really grateful to everyone who’s backed them with donations, taking them to a fantastic total of £7,115 – and counting!

If you’d like to add your donation, please click here.

Learn more about St Luke’s cycle challenges here.

BLOG: Pedal power in memory of a very special man

St luke's fundraiser Jill sat in a garden

While for many of us, it’s a piece of equipment that goes unused – simply gathering dust despite our best intentions – a Plymouth grandmother living with Parkinson’s disease has used the power of pedalling her exercise bike to raise much-needed funds for St Luke’s.

When she heard about our Landmark Challenge, Jill Baragwanath, aged 77, wasted no time in signing up to take part in our Covid-safe fundraising event in memory of her beloved husband, Gerald, who was cared for by our team at Turnchapel 13 years ago before, sadly, he died.

For Jill, who lives in Pomphlett, it was not only an opportunity to say another thank-you to St Luke’s for looking after such a special man with the utmost compassion, but a chance to keep up her fitness level while the gym she usually attends remained closed under lockdown restrictions.

Cycling a total of over 20 miles on the exercise bike in her bedroom, Jill – who has two daughters and two grandchildren – raised a fantastic £300 in sponsorship to help keep the wheels of our specialist service turning.

Jill, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s last year, said: “Gerald and I were married for more than 45 years and he was a wonderful husband, father and grandfather – a real family man with a zest for life. He was really sociable and loved snooker and gardening.

“It was very hard when he became ill with cancer, but what made it that bit easier to bear was knowing he was receiving such superb care from St Luke’s. Every time I spent the day with him at Turnchapel, which is so peaceful, I left feeling reassured that he was comfortable and in a safe place because everyone there was so kind and nothing was ever too much trouble.

“I do whatever I can to support the charity because none of us must ever take its service for granted. I’ve taken part in the ladies’ Midnight Walk and I donate items to the shops. The Landmark Challenge was an opportunity to do something different while keeping as fit as possible, which is an important part of managing my condition.

“Memories of Gerald and all the happy times we had together helped me to keep on pedalling, knowing I was doing something positive to help other local families affected by terminal illness.”

From all of us at St Luke’s, a big thank you to Jill and everyone else who took part in our Landmark Challenge – and to all those who kindly sponsored them, too!

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