Bike ride and festival in doubt as organisers annouce closure
QUESTION marks surround the future of a popular family-friendly organised cycle ride that takes in some of Swansea and Gower’s most captivating views and a beloved cycling festival that raises thousands of pounds for charity, after the firm behind the events made the shock announcement that it’s shutting down.
Directors at White Rock Events, an events firm that was first registered in 2015, took to social media on Tuesday to announce the company would be closing down in June after nine years of trading.
“Thank you and goodbye from White Rock Events,” the directors said. “We just wanted to let everyone know that at the end of June the White Rock Events journey will come to an end. Since our first event in 2016 we have enabled charities to raise comfortably over £1 million and been the catalyst for even more.
They added: “When we look back over the last nine years at the forefront of our minds are the wonderfully generous people that have enabled us to bring these events to life.
“Friendships made will last a lifetime. So there will be no Gower Cycling Festival from us. We hope that the Gower Bike Ride will soon be back in the calendar in some form but our journey as custodians has come to an end.”
The Gower Bike Ride has been a huge part of Swansea’s summer calendar for 40 years and in that time, thousands of passionate cyclists have embarked on beautiful 35 miles routes through the scenic Gower countryside, with many more having taken part in shorter nine and 12-mile routes also offered during the annual event.
There was also, more recently, a longer sportive event that took in far more of the Gower peninsula.
Last year’s Gower Bike Ride took place on Sunday, June 25, and fans hoped the event would return this summer.
White Rock Events said it hoped another company would take the event on.
As well as the Gower Bike Ride and Gower Cycling Festival, the firm has also previously organised Jiffy’s Cancer 50 Challenge, a route from Cardiff to Swansea which raises thousands of pounds for cancer centres in south Wales.
It is understood that the Swansea Bay Health Charity, the official charity for the Swansea Bay University Health Board, is in the process of working to secure an alternative organiser.
One of White Rock’s directors told the Post: “Our final event will be the 80th anniversary D-day cycle ride in Normandy supporting SSAFA the armed forces charity. This runs from June 5 to 9, 2024. We are very much looking forward to being part of those special commemorations.
“As we wrote to our supporters and previous riders, we will not be running the Gower Bike Ride in 2024.
“White Rock’s first event was Ride to the Somme which was covered in great detail by BBC Countryfile which, in 2016, was seen by over 10 million people.
“Having started with an event that commemorated the centenary of the Battle of the Somme our D-day event seemed an ideal way to end our journey.
“It would be great if someone else took on the Gower Bike Ride and the charities are already making plans for the 2024 Cancer 50 Challenge. We hope that all the events we have created or taken on continue to be held and thrive.”
“If anyone is interested in taking on the Gower Bike Ride then they can reach us at this email address: info@whiterockevents.co.uk.”
They added. “The Gower Bike Ride started out 40 years ago and we were only ever going to be the temporary custodians.
“It is a great community event and no-one would be more pleased than us if someone came along and kept it in the calendar.”