Fundraisers on wheels are gearing up for ride
Relaxing safe space at candlelight cafe
MOTORC YC L E and scooter riders are gearing up for the annual Lee Rigby Memorial Ride.
The ride will remember Middleton soldier Lee Rigby who was murdered in 2013, but has since been expanded to remember fellow Middleton soldier Scott Hetherington and the victims of the Manchester Arena bombing.
A convoy will set off from Rochdale Sports Club, on Bridgefold Road, Rochdale, on Sunday, meeting at 9am and leaving at 11am.
It will progress through Heywood to Bowlee, into Middleton and Limefield Park, stopping for a few minutes to pay respects before heading to Victoria Station and the Manchester Memorial.
Originally started in 2013 by Gavin Vitler, the ride raised money for Armed Forces Charities.
Gavin no longer rides due to illness and as a minister concentrates on the service side of the ride.
When fellow Middleton soldier Scott Hetherington was accidentally shot dead by a friend during a tour of Iraq in 2017 - the memorial ride became a joint event to remember the two Middleton-born soldiers.
Money raised from the ride will go towards the Lee Rigby Foundation which provides a support network for military families.
Lee’s mum Lyn and Scott’s mum Anne have both shown their support for the ride.
Gareth Pollitt became an organiser of the event after his brother died in a motorcycle accident following the event in 2015.
He said: “Last year due to lockdown rules The Manchester Bombing Memorial Ride was added as part of the ride.
“This ride was initially organised by Mikey Cox and myself and first ran in 2018 supporting various charities like Manchester Children’s Hospital.
“So now the ride is all three combined. We ride because we want to show the families we care and we are thinking of them.
“Bikers and scooterists come in their hundreds from various locations to show their support. And even with lockdown, they are outside and ride in a social distancing formation.
“They support the charity and they show they care. That’s why I think this ride is so important.”
Gareth added that a Lee Rigby truck is to be unveiled at Rochdale Sports Club and that the ride is open to riders of all abilities and is learner friendly.
A ‘CANDLELIGHT cafe’ has reopened to create a safe space for women.
Petrus, a charity which provides residential and day support to people experiencing or at risk of homelessness in Rochdale, opened its cafe on Thursday for the first time since the start of the pandemic.
Situated at the charity’s hub on Great George Street, the cafe uses only fairy lights and tea lights to create a welcoming atmosphere.
Women’s empowerment worker Caroline Molloy said the service offers women the chance to services the charity offers as well as socialising.
She said: “We dim all the lights in the hub and then we have little fairy lights and tea lights just to create a nice cosy and welcoming atmosphere for the ladies.
“The main aim of the group is to have a safe space for ladies who have had all different kinds of trauma, and multiple traumas, to have somewhere where they can focus on their wellbeing.
“It is a protected space and they can access support for whatever it is they need, whether that’s domestic violence, substance issues, homelessness, or their housing.”
The cafe is set to run every Thursday at the hub from 11am to 2.30pm and those attending can also access provisions such as toiletries and sanitary items from the dedicated women’s service team.
Caroline said of the first session: “We had a good response. A lot of ladies are excited that we’re back open again.
“We’re running breakfast now in a similar way. It’s a completely protected, no judgement space for them.”
As well as the cafe, Caroline said she is hoping to set up a ‘grow and cook group’ so the women can grow their own herbs and earn food qualifications by cooking meals in a way to make the service their own.
She added that it was also important for those attending to have a specifically womendedicated space.
Caroline said: “That is really important because some ladies have had a lot of trauma, often at the hands of men, so it is important for us to have that safe space.
“It’s about taking control of their lives and living a healthy life as well.
“A lot of the socialisation that they do is peer led and they look to each other for that lived experience and support.”
The Petrus Hub is located at 73 Great George Street, Rochdale, OL16 1QG. To find out more email petrus@ petrus.org.uk or phone 01706 526289 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 4pm).