CHARITY cyclists joined forces to tackle a coast to coast marathon ride to raise much-needed funds for injured servicemen.
A ten strong party of students from Risedale Sports and Community College successfully completed the gruelling coast to coast bike ride for Phoenix House, a newly opened centre for sick, wounded and injured service personnel, veterans and families at Catterick Garrison.
The 153 mile epic trek from Whitehaven to Sunderland saw the team of young riders cross the Pennines in 27 degrees of heat.
Taking part were students Lewis Thompson, Aimee Dagmall, Jordan Craggs, Reece Roberts, Shane Hobley, Brandon Whitall, Marshall Hagameyer, Ryan Comber and Mason Mount.
All of them completed the ride, which raised more than £720 for the service charity.
Phoenix House Recovery Centre opened earlier this year just near the Hipswell school. Costng £10.7m, it took 18 months to construct and features a host of facilities and expertise designed to help servicemen and women adapt to civilian life.
These include 46 single bedrooms all with en suite, four family rooms, a gym adapted for disability, staff offices, a psychological wellbeing team and support staff. A number of service charities and agencies are also based at the centre.
Events co-ordinator Michaela Slay told students at a special school assembly: “Our aim is to inspire enable and support.
“Many of our clients are wounded during operational tours, others can be injured in training, while some simply fall sick. We are there to help them recover, prepare them for a civilian life and support their families and we rely on donations like this.”
The event was organised by the school and the county’s Youth Support Service. Teacher Neil Fatkin said the students had done exceptionally well in very challenging conditions because of the heat.
“They all made it and we didn’t have so much as a puncture,” he said. “About 60 per cent of our students have links with the armed forces so this was a cause very close to our hearts and there is already a lot of interest in repeating the event next year.”
North Yorkshire County Council community youth worker Del Stevens added: “It was great to see how quickly they bonded and how they encouraged each other to complete what was a very difficult challenge. They all did themselves proud.”
