500km Bike challenge boosts funds for local alcohol awareness

04 May 2012

Raising approximately £1,750 will undoubtedly enable alcoHELP to visit more schools throughout Essex, delivering programmes designed to communicate the dangers of alcohol consumption.

Having already delivered workshops to over 50,000 school aged children in Essex, trustees and recovered alcoholics, Terry Martin and Debby Peirson, hope to visit an extra 10,000 Essex school children this year. Monies raised from Terry’s ride coupled with the recent grant of £9,950 from The Big Lottery Fund will certainly help achieve this goal.

Terry comments:

“Alarmingly, more than 40% of children who start drinking before the age of 13 will go on to abuse alcohol or to become alcoholics at some point in their lives. In a class of thirty 13-14 year olds an average of 10 children will already be drinking, which makes this a very real statistic!

“The funds raised from the cycle challenge will enable us to deliver more alcoHELP programmes by collaborating with other partners. It will also help keep our workshops up to date in respect of current medical evidence relating to alcohol abuse.”

Over a period of seven days in February, the challenge tested Terry’s physical strength to the limit.  He cycled anything up to 100KM per day along dirt tracks, potholed roads and fields enduring extreme weather conditions from torrential rain to high humidity and temperatures in excess of 100 degrees!

In total, twenty two people took part in the ride. Coming from various walks of life they have all said that they would get involved in something like this again.  Terry adds, “everyone had a brilliant experience and the bond created throughout the group was amazing. In fact we have all signed up to take part in the Stroke Association’s ‘Bridges of London’ bike ride on Sunday 13th May.”

Despite the demanding weather conditions and at times arduous route, Terry has not been put off future challenges.  He said “This is my sixth fundraising cycle trip for alcoHELP and I hope to do many more. I have been to India, Egypt, Mexico, Russia and China. Maybe Africa or South America next...”