Tandem cycling challenge for charity
A couple will take on a tandem cycling challenge in the name of charity this weekend.
Retired clinical psychologist Rachael Davenhill and her partner John Lewis will be attempting a 25-mile tandem ride in the Shropshire Hills in aid of the Gatwick Detainee Welfare Group (GDWG) and its Refugee Tales project.
The Gatwick Detainee Welfare Group is a small charity that for the last 25 years has aimed to aid the mental and physical health of people held in immigration detention by Gatwick Airport.
Due to the cancellation of a 120-mile fundraising walk for the cause due to Covid-19, Rachael and John will be attempting a 25-mile tandem cycle (one mile for each year the charity has been running) up Titterstone Clee Hill and its surrounds on Sunday.
Knowbury resident Rachael said: "For 25 years GDWG visitors have been offering friendship to strangers, bearing witness to the realities of detention and making weekly visits to people who would otherwise be isolated.
"To celebrate 25 years of GDWG being a lifeline to those in detention I will be doing a 25-mile tandem ride in the very steep Shropshire hills with my partner John. The work of the charity is ever more needed today with people released from detention to destitution and homelessness and GDWG stepping in to offer support."
An online donation page has been set up in support of Rachael and John's challenge, and has so far raised £710 of a £1,000 target.
"This is a tough time for small charities, so please show your support for those whose plight is frequently invisible and give generously to GDWG," added Rachael. "If you are in Shropshire on July 5, do keep an eye out for us as we pelt up and down those steep Shropshire hills."
Donations can be made at https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/rachael-davenhill
A number of online events in support of the GDWG Refugee tales project will be taking place from Friday (July 3) to Sunday (July 5), including talks and readings.
For more information, visit www.refugeetales.org
