A group of army veterans raised more than £1,000 doing a poignant 3,000-mile cycle ride … without leaving Huddersfield town centre.
The 15 former soldiers did an event they called the Repatriation Ride on static cycles in St George’s Square on Saturday, August 3, to raise money for Tommy’s Lounge on nearby Station Street.
One of the riders, Chris Allen, who used to serve in the 3rd Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment, even did it in army gear and backpack. He travelled from his home in Rotherham to do the challenge which shows that Tommy’s Lounge is bringing in ex forces personnel from across the county.
The café is thought to be unique in the UK as it was set up primarily as a place for veterans to meet up and talk through their often traumatic experiences. Members of the public are also more than welcome to go there and the café is always looking for funding.
It was set up by former Regimental Sgt Major Mick Riley MBE, who served over 25 years in the British Army, his partner Jennie Thorn and her mum, Sue Longbottom.
Jennie said: “Other people joined in on the day including passersby and members of cycle clubs so it was a great community effort. By raising more than £1,000 it was worth all the effort … and considerable sweat.”
Many of the veterans fought in Afghanistan and lost colleagues which is why the event was called the Repatriation Ride.
When soldiers lost their lives in Afghanistan a vigil for each one was held at the main army base in Afghanistan, Camp Bastion, and then they were flown to RAF Lyneham in Wiltshire where hearses took them through the nearby market town of Wootton Bassett.
The distance from Camp Bastion to Wootton Bassett is 3,752 miles so after riding 3,000 miles the veterans finished off with 752 push-ups – one for each mile. The event started at 9.30am and finished at 4.30pm.
Each of the bikes used in the marathon was named after a regiment that served in Afghanistan.
Huddersfield soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice in Afghanistan include Pte Tom Wroe, 18, from Meltham; Cpl Jake Hartley, 20, of New Mill; Pte Anthony Frampton, 20, of Longwood; Pte Daniel Wilford, 21, of Cowlersley and bomb disposal expert Capt Lisa Head, 29, of Almondbury. Lisa served with the 321 Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Squadron, 11 EOD Regiment, and the others were in The Yorkshire Regiment.
People can still donate to the fundraising appeal go to https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=8KAPN2YGJ69DG
Written by ANDY HIRST who runs his own Yorkshire freelance journalism agency AH! PR (https://ah-pr.com/) specialising in press releases, blogging, website content and copywriting.
