On yer bike...

Wednesday, 21 July 2010 16:41

I was inspired (no pun intended) by the fundraising efforts of parishioners in our church to raise money for our spire, and thought to myself ‘what can I do which has the potential to raise some cash in an unusual way, not through the usual channels, and which is creative at the same time?’ I thought long and hard, and spoke to a few friends about an idea I had.

One of the friends I spoke to was Rev. Arthur Young from down the road in Tullylish who liked what he heard and actually decided to join me in my fund-raising effort. We decided the split the money raised 50/50 between our Spire and a charity he is passionate about - the Northern Ireland Childrens Hospice.

My idea was to cycle through the Diocese and visit every church (there is about 112 of them) get a photo taken at each one and do it all in a week. Little did I realise that Connor Diocese had the same idea (and actually have completed their cycle) but that didn’t put me off and so the planning got underway.

I do have a confession to make at this point - I am worried about a little belly I am developing - so wanted to incorporate an element of getting fit into my fundraising and reduce the flab. Anyone who knows Arthur Young knows he is as fit as they come, being a keen marathon runner, and he is a good trainer while out on the road. We have gone out a few times, managing to cover about 10 miles an hour which is just about the pace we need to keep if we are to do this in a week.

We need to visit about 20 churches a day!!! We aim to leave on Sunday 1st August and arrive home for the 8th August to a hero’s welcome (joking).

We have already secured the support from some local businesses, including Roy Burns Cycle Shop, who has agreed to supply us with cycle equipment along with a generous donation. We hope to approach other businesses and are looking into how to best raise money on our travels.

I have deliberately kept this low key until now as I was unsure I could actually manage this feat - but as I am a believer in miracles, I have faith that Arthur and I will complete this (somehow!). What will you be inspired (pun intended here) to do??

Wish us luck, pray for us and donate if you feel inclined!

Yours Martin Montgomery