Surveyor's 1000-mile bike ride for LionHeart
A surveyor who decided to mark the end of his 40-year career with an epic bike ride from Land’s End to John O’Groats has raised more than £1,200 for LionHeart.
Iain Moore, previously of Legal & General, was inspired to make the slightly unusual start to his retirement after hearing a presentation by LionHeart CEO Phil Sparke and ambassador Steve Lees at the L&G surveyors’ annual conference earlier this year.
Planning the adventure with five friends from the Rotherwick Cycling Club, Iain originally hoped to raise £500 for LionHeart but ended up more than doubling that target. Additional Gift Aid will help bring the total to more than £1,200, with donations still coming in to his Just Giving page.
Setting out from Land’s End at the end of June, the group:
- Covered just over 1,000 miles in 14 days, averaging around 71 miles per day
- Climbed over 60,000ft (more than twice the height of Mount Everest)
The trip was not without its hiccups, with Iain explaining: “We sustained three punctures, all on the same bike, and a broken gear cable on the last day.
“We had two support drivers and a van, which broke down at Perth, so a hire van had to be used for the last four days.
“And one of the riders, Steve, fell off his bike while cycling up Cheddar Gorge when his back wheel parted company with his bicycle... Apart from a grazed knee he was okay and the wheel was successfully reattached.
“Overall the ride went well thanks to lots of planning and preparation and a good deal of luck with the weather - we only had to endure two wet days.”
LionHeart’s supporter engagement and fundraising manager Faye Smith said: “What an epic end to a 40-year surveying career! We’re so grateful to Iain for undertaking this challenge and raising such a phenomenal amount for LionHeart, and wish him a very happy retirement.
“We’ve seen some amazing fundraising efforts by lots of people over the spring and summer - these contributions really do make a huge difference to us as an independent charity, so thank you so much to all of our supporters.
“We always love to hear from people who are planning fundraisers for LionHeart - and we promise it doesn’t have to involve cycling quite as far as Iain did! Please get in touch if you or your firm would like to discuss fundraising for us and you can also take a look at our fundraising guide.”
Read more:
- Inspired to do your own fundraising? Take a look at our fundraising guide here
- Add to Iain’s total here
- See how your fundraising and donations are helping us to make an impact
- Make a donation
