Round the Wrekin: Cyclists raise £28,000 for Compton Hospice, Hugh Porter says
More than £28,000 was raised for Compton Hospice at this year’s Round the Wrekin sportive, cycling champion Hugh Porter has announced.
The event, which took place in May, generated just more than £6,000 more than the inaugural one last year.
More than 700 cyclists took part, up by around 140 competitors, and now Mr Porter MBE has his sights set on topping the 1,000 barrier next year.
The cycling legend from Wolverhampton, who is now 77 and a patron for the hospice, has played a major part in promoting the sportive which is also sponsored by Banks’s.
It consists of three routes; the epic 100mile challenge, the standard 64mile route and the shorter 24mile one which is named after Mr Porter. He said: “I am absolutely delighted with how it went. Last year we raised just shy of £22,000 and we did a lot better than that meaning we have raised £50,000 in two years for the hospice.
“The £28,000 is equal to 135 home visits for the charity to put it into context.
“We attracted 140 more competitors this time around and my ambition is to get over 1,000 people.
“The way it has gone in the first two events we will be very close next year.
“I would like to thank everybody who took part and I hope we can count on their support next year.”
Mr Porter rode his namesake route and was then on hand to dish out the medals for the rest of the entrants.
Three hampers were given out to the rider who raised the most in each challenge.
Shawn Jewell, aged 44, from Telford, who took on the epic route raked in £424 and Anthony Mann, aged 47 of Wolverhampton Racing Cycling Club pulled in £321 in the standard challenge.
The top rider in the Hugh Porter challenge, Chris Wilcox, 54, from Wolverhampton, managed to generate £304.
Entries for next year’s event will open up on November 1.
Visit www.roundthewrekin.co.uk to register from that date.
