Trio's epic cycle to help kids survive to five
Howard Lake | 21 July 2008 | News
A trio of super-fit students are to cycle a whopping 800 miles from their campus in St Andrew’s to the centre of Paris in just 18 days, in aid of Save the Children.
Jude Telford, Ian Stewart and Christine Mueller were so moved by the charity’s recent interactive web campaign in ‘Kroo Bay’ – a slum built on a rubbish dump of the banks of the filthy Crocodile River in Freetown, Sierra Leone, it spurred their decision to raise cash with their epic cycle.
Cyclist, Jude Telford from North Queensferry in Fife said:
“We watched footage of the Kroo Bay health centre on the website and felt really inspired to help. They can’t afford the drugs they need and with one in four children dying before their fifth birthday, Sierra Leone is one of the toughest places in the world for a child to survive.”
The Kroo Bay website allows families to ask the residents of Kroo Bay questions and experience what life is like for the 4,000 children living in the slum. Visitors can navigate around 360-degree images of the site and catch up with the latest news through regular ‘webisodes’.
Save the Children aim to highlight that it is simple for families in the UK to make a difference and as the months go by, the public will be able to watch the changes their donations have made for the residents of Kroo Bay.
Telford added: “We had the whole summer ahead of us before starting our final year and wanted to help by getting on our bikes and making a difference.”
Their gruelling journey will begin on 11th August and they hope to cycle 50 miles per day to arrive in Paris on August 29th.
Despite the tough schedule, the students are confident they will reach their goal. Ian Stewart, from Edinburgh, who is planning to join the marines upon graduating, added:
“We’ve worked incredibly hard to get fit for this journey and the planning process has been immense, from mapping the route to arranging where we’ll camp each night. It’s a cause close to our hearts and we’re confident we’ll make it. We’ve already had a huge amount of support from family, friends and organisations but we hope that people will continue to be generous.”
Christine Mueller who comes from Baesweiler-Floverich in Germany, added:
“We’ve also had corporate support from across Europe, which we greatly appreciate. This trip will be something we’ll remember for the rest of our lives and we hope to do our supporters proud.”
To donate to Jude, Ian and Christine’s Cycle Adventure, please visit
http://www.justgiving.com/judithtelford
For more information about Kroo Bay, please visit
http://www.savethechildren.org.uk/kroobay/
ENDS
21st July 2008
For more information, please contact:
Beverley Kirk, Media Officer (Scotland), Save the Children, 0131 527 8244. b.****@sa*************.uk
Notes to Editors
About Save the Children
Save the Children is the world’s independent charity. We’re outraged that millions of children are still denied proper healthcare, food, education and protection. We’re working flat out to get every child their rights and we’re determined to make further, faster changes. How many? How fast? It’s up to you.
www.savethechildren.org.uk
Beverley Kirk
Media Officer (Scotland)
Save the Children
t: 0131 527 8244
a: Save the Children UK
2nd Floor, Prospect House
5 Thistle St
Edinburgh
EH2 1DF
About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.