When you’re getting ready for bed this coming Saturday night (8 June), spare a thought for 25 hardy cyclists pedalling through the night to raise funds for an Ealing-based development charity.
Uganda Development Services (UDS) is sending a team to take part in Nightrider, an annual overnight charity bike ride around the streets of London. The 100-kilometre route takes in the sights, including Piccadilly Circus, Tower Bridge and Canary Wharf. There are also a couple of challenging hills .. at Alexandra Palace to the north and Crystal Palace in the south.
UDS, based in The Lido, Mattock Lane, works to alleviate poverty in rural Uganda. It runs an education and training centre to provide local people with literacy and computer skills. It also offers farmers training in agricultural techniques, and supplies villagers with smokeless ovens and water tanks. Last year, with 17 riders, UDS managed to raise £20,000 towards its work. This year, with a team of 25, they’re aiming for £30,000.
If you’d like to give, you can sponsor one of the riders here: http://www.justgiving.com/HelenPNightrider2013
The good news is her employer matches your donations pound-for-pound.
If you’d like to cheer the team on, they’ll be setting off from Crystal Palace at 10.30pm on Saturday and returning around dawn on Sunday.
UDS is also taking part this year in Nightrider Paris, overnight 21-22 September, and still has some places available if you fancy a night-time ride around the City of Light to raise some money for a worthwhile cause.