Completed it! 140 miles cycling from Essex to Amsterdam
Media Release
Children’s mental health charity, Kids Inspire, waved 30 supporters off from HQ, Great Baddow, Essex on Friday 21 June. 140 miles and roughly 32 hours later Team Kids Inspire arrived in Amsterdam, Holland!
The epic fundraiser - a collective 4,200 miles of cycling - saw the team raise proceeds of over £35,000 in aid of the charity, and funds are still rolling in from supporters.
Funds will go towards mental health and trauma recovery support for children, young people and families.
On day one of the ride cyclists were greeted with a hearty breakfast, courtesy of the Rapid Relief team, before departing and cycling 75 miles to Harwich.
Map of route ‘Day one’ - Chelmsford to Harwich
Their route took them via Essex villages; Finchingfield, Nayland and Ramsay before they joined an overnight ferry crossing to the Hook of Holland.
Map of route ‘Day two’ - Hook of Holland to Amsterdam
Cycling at their own pace, on day two the group pressed on towards the Dutch capital. Using the popular cycle paths of Holland the route hugged the coast and passed the beaches and coves at Scheveningen and Noordwijk-Bennen along the way.
The 65-mile journey took them through the Hague and some traditional Dutch towns before they reached their finishing point at Rijksmuseum.
In 2019 Kids Inspire’s CEO and Founder, Sue Bell OBE, cycled the same route. Before the team departed HQ, she gave the cyclists a few words of encouragement: “Really enjoy it! You are an amazing team. Thank you all for taking on this challenge, the children and young people you are helping have minute-by-minute challenges. Please hold that in mind when it feels tough and remember ‘by taking on this challenge you are making such a huge difference for those children’, thank you so much.”
The 30 cyclists were made up of supporters from local and national businesses and committed individual supporters.
Jon McFarlane, Managing Director at Laser Electrical, commented: “We believe in giving back to our local community and supporting causes that make a meaningful difference. Kids Inspire is a cause close to many of the team’s hearts and we’re delighted to once again support this local charity”.
Stuart Belbin from Ascend told us why he and his team took part: “It's about giving kids the tools they need to face life's challenges head-on. Every mile we cover, and every pound donated will directly contribute to changing lives for the better.”
Supporters, Barry Milchem and George McCarthy from Ecliptic live-streamed the whole ride and it can be watched again online here. George told us: “I’m cycling in aid of Kids Inspire as they are a great local charity doing important work in the community in a field that can often be extremely challenging to navigate.”
Other supporter cyclists were filmed talking to the team before they left HQ In Essex.
The combined total of proceeds raised will support Kids Inspire to continue delivering its multi-generational family approach for every child and young person that the charity works with. Through proactive listening and therapeutic practice, Kids Inspire promotes self-resilience, greater self-awareness, and relationship building to empower more positive life choices.
-ends -
One of our cyclists, Martyn, reflected on his journey from Chelmsford, Essex to Amsterdam in his blog.
Other supporters and cyclists were filmed talking to the team before they left HQ In Essex.
Sue Bell OBE talking to the team before the cycle ride
Day two - cycling in Holland
The cycle team alongside Rapid Relief before leaving Kids Inspire HQ in Great Baddow
Boarding the Ferry in Harwich! End of Day one
Arriving at Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, after 140 miles of cycling!