CHARITY CYCLE Jim’s the wheel deal
Kind-hearted cyclist to take on 150-mile bike trip to help raise funds for Childline
A Cambuslang man is set to get on his bike for a good cause.
Jim Harper, 48, and two of his fellow staff at Co-op Scotmid will be cycling coast to coast, from Whitehaven to Tynemouth.
The 150 mile journey will attempt to raise £4,000 for NSPCC Scotland and its Childline service.
Jim said: “I’m looking forward to it and there’s a lot of benefit in doing something like this that can help individuals become part of a team.
“I’m part of the charity committee at Scotmid that helps to choose our partners and when I heard the pitch from the NSPCC and Childline I knew how important it would be.
“I’ve also been fortunate enough to have had Esther Rantzen at one of my shops to thank staff for fundraising for Childline as well so the message has landed and it’s a wonderful charity.”
Jim has previously rode the length of Britain from Land’s End to John O’Groats and biked it from London to Paris.
But his latest challenge will see him and peddling pals John McIntosh and Gillian McFall encounter a new type of challenge.
Following part of the route of last year’s Tour of Britain, the group will start their two-day trip by scaling the summit of Hart Side Mountain in the Lake District, a 2,000ft climb which forms just a fifth of a total of 10,000ft of uphill cycling over the challenge.
Along the way the group will stop in at most of the 10 Lakes and Dales Scotmid shops for some much needed rest, recovery and motivation as they bid to add to the already incredible figure raised by stores across the country in their quest to raise £300,000 for Childline’s 30th anniversary.
Deborah Quinn, corporate fundraising executive with NSPCC Scotland said: “We are so grateful for the time and effort Jim and the team have put into organising and training for the coast to coast cycling challenge. It shows an amazing commitment and dedication in raising funds for Childline.
“The £4,000 target they have set is equivalent to the cost of answering 1,000 Childline calls from children and young people who need our support and is greatly appreciated.”
The NSPCC is the leading children’s charity fighting to end child abuse in the UK and Channel Islands.
Visit www.childline.org.uk or www. nspcc.org.uk for more details on their work.
When I heard the pitch from the NSPCC and Childline I knew how important it would be. The message has landed and it’s a wonderful charity Jim Harper