Fund Raising

Many of our supporters raise money by doing sponsored events or organising fund raising events. Below is the story of Chris Green who raised over £1,300 by cycling from Camberley to Lands End.

 

Chris Green's Story

Preparation and planning, I frequently reminded myself as the sponsorship built up in the weeks leading up to the start of my cycle ride.  With 2 days to go, I returned from enjoying the Greenbelt Festival with some trepidation, as the support and sponsorship had reached an unbelievable level.

Well the preparation before Greenbelt paid off and at 9am on 29^th August I received a very warm send off from supporters outside the ASCT office. Matt my son accompanied me on the first day and after 6¼ hours of cycling time and covering 67 miles we reach Salisbury Youth Hostel.

Day 2 and after saying goodbye to Matt I am very much left with a feeling of “you’re on your own now Chris” not helped by a car getting too close and catching my elbow on its door mirror, as I leave the city centre. Soon however, I enjoy sunshine and quiet roads through meadows and villages! As I approach Street Youth Hostel I am aware of first signs of pain! A total of 53 miles today, highlight was breaking my speed record, reaching 38mph as I leave Shaftesbury on a rather scary hill.

Day 3 and I wake to fog and rain and no food or early morning coffee. Just before leaving a woman I was speaking to earlier kindly sponsors me. After 20 miles and feeling cold and wet I decide to change route and head for Taunton. I welcome Sunday trading after all and enjoy a mega breakfast for under £5 at an Asda superstore café. A sign that appears ‘welcome to Exmoor’ and a 1 in 6 hill makes me puff like a steam train and it takes me 40 mins to cover 2 miles. At the top a motorist stops and sarcastically asks me where the nearest petrol station is, not knowing how to take this I give an honest answer! 55 miles later I arrive at speed down the valley and soon enjoy another meal on my own in a quaint Exford pub.

Day 4 and I oversleep. I can’t seem to get in gear and before leaving and I have to book Tintagel as my next stop as Boscastle YH is full. Oh well only 7 miles further. It was a long and wet ride climbing back onto the moor, the rain then stinging my face as I descend rapidly into Barnstaple. At least the Tarka trail around the estuary will be flat, but in reality was slow as I battle against a head wind whistling through the valley and the rain approaches horizontally. The thought of free refreshment at a café promised earlier in the year is dashed as café closed sign is displayed. A diversion to Bideford brings fish and chips and ½ hour respite from the rain.

The Tarka trail begins to climb and the track gets puddles and pot holes and the café at the end is also closed, so emergency rations are used for first time. Its 5 pm, gosh I have a long way to go still but achievable. At 6pm, after getting lost for 20 mins, I think it might not be achievable and decide to use main roads which are clearly sign posted and look out for an alternative stopping place. There is no alternative, mile after mile with no habitation and always it seems uphill. The A39, the Atlantic Highway, I shall never forget it. Darkness falls, the rain continues to fall and the wind seems to get stronger. Reluctantly I put my front light on knowing it will only last one hour.

I reach a garage and ask a customer where I am. “Wainhouse Corner mate” he replies and hurries off in case I ask him anything else. I continue past the signpost to Boscastle and continue to climb, eventually reaching the turn off to Tintagel. I then realise I am in thick cloud, can faintly make out the hedge either side of the road in the gloom of my front light and dream of a good down hill ride to Tintagel. Eventually it is downhill and I reach Tintagel about 9.30pm, just as the rain, sweeping in off the Atlantic intensifies. Where is the youth hostel, I ask a man walking his dog. Up on the cliff past the Church he sends me, and coming near the end of my physical strength with now no front light I see the gravestones faintly appearing but no Youth Hostel. A further prayer seems my only option apart from hypothermia and shortly after this a car appears down the un-made up road. With much gratitude from me, he offers to guide my way and appears to turn left over the top of the cliff, but there is my destination, thankfully at 10.30pm the lights were still on. Friendly faces, a hot coffee and a dry bed at last!

Day 5 and my legs feel as though I can barely walk. My stomach feels very empty. My head tells me its time to give up. However my fellow youth hostellers urge me to continue, so I decide to stay in Tintagel to recuperate for the day. Check over bike and realise I completed 89 miles yesterday.

Day 6 and each journey now will be considerably shorter, only 40 miles today. By mid afternoon after a leisurely cycle I reach Perranporth. There is time today to socialise with others in the hostel and make good use of my mobile phone.

Day 7. Unable to book any more Youth Hostels, so I set off without knowing where I will lay my head tonight. Another Asda café, in the way of Chicken Tikka Massala at 11am, replaces breakfast and provides much needed energy and shelter from a heavy storm. Tourist information at St. Ives assists with finding a hotel to stay in St. Just, just a few miles from Lands End. St. Ives to St. Just proves to be the most scenic route of the whole journey for a cyclist, shame there is continual periods of light rain.

Day 8, I wake to heavy rain which has fallen all night, but with no rush I set off to reach the end of the road. As Lands End comes into sight so does a large storm out in the Atlantic. Other cyclists who have also completed sponsored events wave encouragement as they cycle past. I take great delight in cycling past the car parking booth without paying and on to the famous Lands End signpost. 355 miles total from Camberley goes up on the sign and hurried photographs are taken before I rush for cover as the storm sweeps in. Time to contact everyone and reflect on the achievement, before the desire to head for home takes over.

My reflections and thoughts are that you cannot do everything in your own strength. We need other people to support and encourage us; 4 or 5 texts a day from family and friends definitely kept me going, and God answered that prayer by sending a guide when I needed one most. I still had nowhere to sleep tonight and this helped me identify with a feeling of homelessness. I can pay for a hotel just for one more night, but many cannot and sleep rough on the streets. I can return to friends and family and a warm welcome home, but many of the young people I have worked with and that ASCT help or are aware of in the Philippines have none of these things. I am proud of my achievement in reaching Lands End and the incredible amount of sponsorship received and I know this will make a difference to many young people in Manila.

Chris Green