Ride London Breaks Charity Record
Posted Tuesday 26th November 2013 –
The Prudential RideLondon-Surrey 100, part of the Mayor of London’s annual festival of cycling, has raised more than £7 million for charity in its first year, a new fundraising record for a one-day cycling event in the UK. The 15,833 finishers in the inaugural event on Sunday 4 August 2013 cycled 100 miles, starting at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, riding out of London to enjoy the beauty of the Surrey Hills and countryside before returning to the capital and a spectacular finish on The Mall.
The average sum raised for charity by a fundraising rider was £946 and at least 14 charities raised six-figure sums through the event.
The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: “It’s fantastic to see that all of the huff and puff and pedal power of the thousands who took part in Prudential RideLondon has led to this gigantic cheque for charity. With hordes of cyclists already signed up for next year’s event I am sure we’ll be on track to smash the record again.”
“We set a target to raise £3.5 million for charity in our first year and we have doubled that,” said Event Director Hugh Brasher. “It’s a fantastic achievement and we shall aim even higher in future years.”
Prudential UK’s Chief Executive Jackie Hunt said: “We’re delighted to have been involved with an event that has raised such a stunning amount for good causes – this sets the bar high for the coming years.”
Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity was one of the charities that raised a six-figure sum and has already started work planning its fundraising for Prudential RideLondon 2014.
“We are thrilled to have raised more than £210,000 in the first year of Prudential RideLondon,” said Kathryn Cheshire, Senior Fundraising Executive at Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity. “The money raised will help us make a real difference for patients and families from across the UK, supporting the much needed redevelopment of the hospital. With the additional places we have been allocated in the 2014 charity ballot, it looks like Prudential RideLondon will become our highest third-party challenge fundraising event. It’s a phenomenal achievement to have done this so quickly.”
Residents and communities along the route of Prudential RideLondon-Surrey 100 will benefit from the many services funded by the hundreds of participating charities.
In 2014, a Prudential RideLondon Charity of the Year will be appointed for the first time. By the closing date of 15 November applications had been received from more than 100 charities.
