Marlow Red Kite Ride Raises £9,000 for Charity
Marlow Riders, the cycling club that organises the iconic Red Kite Ride, presented a cheque for £9,000 to Marlow Wheels for All, at its recent Annual General Meeting. Based at Bisham, Wheels for All is a charity that provides adapted bikes for children and adults, enabling those with, in some cases, severe disabilities to enjoy the freedom and exhilaration that comes from riding a bike.
The Marlow Ride Kite Ride, an annual event taking place in September, is listed by Cycling Weekly as one of the top ten sportives near London. The ride which comprises three routes, 50, 80 and 100 miles, takes riders through the picturesque countryside of Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire.
Matthew Wing, who accepted the cheque for Wheels for All commented; “On behalf of all the children and adults that benefit from the Wheels for All cycling facility at Bisham, I would like to say a heart felt thank you to Marlow Riders for your support. Our adapted cycles give people with a range of disabilities the chance to enjoy cycling.
“While Wheels for All benefits from some funding, we are increasingly reliant on donations and local fund raising efforts. This is a very generous donation from Marlow Riders and the Red Kite Ride, and will make a huge difference to the work we are able to do with disabled youngsters and adults.”
Colin Lavis, Sportive Director for the Red Kite Ride commented; “The Red Kite Ride was established to encourage cyclists to enjoy the beautiful countryside around Marlow and the Chilterns, while at the same time raising money for cycling related charities. We are delighted to help Wheels for All and would like to thank everyone that took part in what is becoming one of the sporting events of the year for Marlow, and those that donated so generously on the day.”
The AGM for Marlow Riders took place on 6 June at the Marlow Sports Club. Long time chairman Rod Woodland stood down, and is replaced by Chris Heath, who is also a founding member of the club, and has worked closely with Rod over the years. Rod said; “Over the last five years we have created a cycling club to be proud of based on the simple ethos of ‘Cycling for All’ which is in our DNA. With a flourishing membership of over 200 riders and 30%+ female members we are doing something right in encouraging anyone that wants to cycle!
Chris Heath, the new chairman of Marlow Riders commented; “I am delighted to be taking over the role of chairman of this great club, and whilst I know that Rod will be a hard act to follow, I will certainly do my best to ensure that we continue to build on the very strong foundations we have in place today, whilst maintaining our ethos of ‘Cycling for All’.”
The 2017 Red Kite Ride takes place on Sunday 3 September, and is now open for entries For more details please visit: www.marlowredkiteride.co.uk
