Category: Charity

1. CoastaLea - riding the coast of Great Britain in aid of the Leah Wilby Foundation

   Posted on 12:01am Monday 30th Apr 2012

   Starting on the 16th June 2012, Richard and Gary are riding the coast of Great Britain in aid of the Leah Wilby Foundation.

   The Leah Wilby Foundation ( reg charity No 1146160 ) was set up in Leah's memory. Leah lost her seven year fight with Neuroblastoma on the 13th of June, 2011 at 8.25pm, just 4 weeks before her 16th Birthday.

   The objectives and purposes of the charity is to provide holiday accommodation to families supporting young people in the UK suffering from childhood cancer. They have named the caravan Leah's Lounge.

   Leah's dad Richard and family friend Gary are starting the 14 day, 4,000 mile ride from the Haven Seashore park where Leah's lounge is situated. Heading North they will be riding as close to the coast as is possible, with no support. Just 2 men, 2 bikes, and a couple of tents. 4,000 miles, 14 days and 2 men with no sense of direction... what could possibly go wrong?

   Richard and Gary are looking for a company who would be willing to help with the fuel cost. Any company who can help would have their name or logo printed on the jackets and thanked on all press releases.

   They are also looking for normal sponsorship.

   If you would like to help please contact the Leah Wilby Foundation, [email protected]

   For more information on CoastaLeah and to Follow the ride with daily updates on facebook.

   For more information and details of how to donate to the Leah Wilby Foundation, www.theleahwilbyfoundation.co.uk
    
   We look forward to hearing from you.

   Richard and Gary 

2. MARTHA CARE RIDE OUT 15th April 2012

   Posted on 12:01am Tuesday 10th Apr 2012

   On Sunday 15th April Tor Leisure Centre in Glastonbury will see the arrival of 200 motorcycles from all over the South West to ride together in support of Martha Care. 

   Bikes will start arriving from 9.30am ready for being sent off by Graham Coles, Glastonbury Town Crier, at 11.00am. The ride will take in about 60 miles of glorious Somerset roads, starting with one of the country's best High Streets - Glastonbury!  Then onto biking favourites like Cheddar Gorge and Burrington Coombe.  All levels of rider are welcome and we're sure everyone will get something out of the ride and the day. We pride ourselves on rider safety and are pleased to have Somerset Road Safety in attendance to provide advice for riders of all abilities.

   Bikes will return to the leisure centre at about 1pm where there will be a hog roast, live music from Fraser Road Race and lots of motorbike oggling and discussion by riders and spectators!  There will be a bouncy castle to keep the children amused too. Every rider will receive a goody bag with a commemorative pin badge, other goodies and information for riders. 

   The riders who have gone to the most effort by making either themselves or their bike as bright and yellow as possible will be presented with a sash by Graham Coles to wear on the ride out.

   Pel Crosby, photographer from Weston Bike Night, will be in attendance taking on the move pictures of all the bikes in various locations.  The pictures will be available to purchase with the proceeds going to Martha Care. Check the Martha Care Ride Out page for details.

   We have lots of amazing raffle prizes; including our top prize of a pair of weekend tickets to any round of British Superbikes, including two hoodies courtesy of Sorrymate.com, another great prize of a Max Rider training day worth over £100 thanks to Somerset Road Safety, tee shirts, hoodies and lots more!

   Organisations supporting the Martha Care Ride Out include:

   Shire Integrated Systems (Sponsor)

   Somerset Road Safety
   Sorrymate.com
   Cheddar Valley Advanced Motorcyclists
   THE BIKER GUIDE
   Wells Classic Motorcycle
   Weston Bike Night
   Urban Glow
   Taunton MAG
   Freewheelers
   Biker FM
   4 Counties Bikers

   This year riders can pay in advance using our Q-Jump facility on out website. 

   The date for next years ride out has already been set for Sunday 7th April 2013.  Updates can be found on our facebook page Bikers 4 Martha or following the ride out on Twitter @bikers4martha.

   We very much look forward to meeting everyone on the day!

   www.marthacare.co.uk

3. Motorcycle Law Scotland Helps Highlight Breast Way Round

   Posted on 12:01am Monday 27th Feb 2012

   As part of Motorcycle Law Scotland’s commitment to supporting Scotland’s motorcyclists, the specialist legal service has provided a Scottish charity’s motorcycling fundraisers with bright pink, high-visibility vests.

   “Every year, Breast Way Round raises tens of thousands of pounds for Macmillan Cancer Support by organising bike runs and other events,” said Brenda Mitchell of Motorcycle Law Scotland, Scotland’s only legal service specialising in providing advice and representation to motorcyclists and their families in the aftermath of a road traffic accident. “These eye-catching vests will help to ensure Breast Way Round’s motorcyclists are easily spotted by other road users, helping to keep them safe while also increasing awareness of this excellent charity, which, like Motorcycle Law Scotland, is run by motorcyclists."

   Breast Way Round was founded in 2007 by Shirley-Ann McKnight to boost the profile of Scotland’s female motorcyclists and raise funds for Macmillan Cancer Support. ”When Shirley-Ann’s best friend and fellow motorcyclist, Alyson Porter, was diagnosed with cancer, Alyson received a lot of help from Macmillan Cancer Support,” said Jill Polanski of Breast Way Round. “Tragically, Alyson died soon after our first charity bike run but, so far, we have raised over £180,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support.”

   Breast Way Round’s main fundraiser is an annual four-day bike run for 80 female motorcyclists and 20 male motorcyclists exploring Scotland’s west coast.  “The Breast Way Round Bike Run is a fantastic experience – and a great way to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support,” said Jill. “In fact, many of the Breast Way Round girls have taken to two wheels just to be part of what we do.

   “During the run, we stick bright pink mohicans onto our helmets and, now we have new – and equally bright - pink vests to wear over our leathers, we’ll certainly knock people’s socks off! There’ll be no mistaking the Breast Way Round bikers on this year’s run. We can’t thank Motorcycle Law Scotland’s enough for their support,” continued Jill, as she was presented with the vests at the Bikers’ Cove in South Queensferry, one of Scotland’s top motorcycling destinations.

   As well as being one of Scotland’s leading motorcycle accident lawyers, Brenda Mitchell is also a motorcyclist and has taken part in one of Breast Way Round’s girls-only track evenings at Knockhill Race Circuit and will be riding in this year’s charity bike run. “Breast Way Round is a great way to meet fellow female motorcyclists while also raising funds for a very worthwhile cause,” said Brenda.

   “Motorcycle Law Scotland aims to support Scotland’s motorcyclists in as many ways as possible – what better way than by helping a group of female motorcyclists who are promoting motorcycling in such a positive way?”

   www.breastwayround.com

   www.motorcyclelawscotland.co.uk

4. Skydive for NABD

   Posted on 8:25am Monday 6th Feb 2012

   NABD's oldest and  youngest reps David Silburn and Venessa Downes are going to do tandem skydives.

   We are now looking to raise as much as possible for NABD so we need lots of lovely people to sponsor us. The oldest rep is 68 years old!

   You can donate online at www.everyclick.com/skydivefornabd

   The cost of the dive has been sponsored by Bikesure.

   venue: Beccles Airfield, Suffolk, NR34 7TE price: Sponsorship online donation www.everyclick.com/skydivefornabd
   tel: 07803 843688
   website: www.nabd.org.uk

   4th March, 2012

5. Calling All Bikers... We need your help now! An appeal by NABD

   Posted on 12:01am Tuesday 3rd Jan 2012

   The National Association For Bikers with a Disability (NABD) is in its twentieth year with a very proud record of helping around 10,000 disabled people to enjoy the freedom and independence of motorcycling.

   Throughout this time we have remained dedicated to our belief that registered charities such as ours should not spend vast amounts of money on wages, expenses and fancy offices. To this end we have remained a voluntary organisation with only two employees (two lovely ladies who take care of the office and daily administration) and we have one of the least generous and most restrictive system of expense claims in the charity world. Our office and storage facility is small industrial unit on an industrial estate. The NABD is also one of those extremely rare charities that have guaranteed for twenty years that 100% of every donation has been used specifically for the purpose it was donated.
    
   Unfortunately, like everybody else, the NABD has been hit hard by this current recession and now we need your support more than ever before.

   Many bikers all over Britain get involved in raising money for a wide range of charities but most seem to support massively oversubscribed charities that already have millions of pounds in the bank like Children In Need, Comic Relief, Help For Heroes or Cancer Research. We all know that these charities provide much needed services and support for deserving people but the fact remains that they have vast resources and they enjoy huge support from all parts of society.
    
   To give you an idea of what I'm talking about; on just one day in 2011, Children in Need raised more than £26 million in the UK. Comic Relief raised £74 million in 2011. Cancer Research raised an almost unbelievable £433 million in 2010 and each of these charities gets huge support from within the motorcycle scene.
    
   The NABD has to rely purely on support from within the motorcycle scene and although this support has previously enabled us to become the world leaders in the field of motorcycling for disabled people and this in turn has given us the ability to develop new and better solutions to the problems faced by disabled motorcyclists, we have recently seen a marked fall-off in support from motorcyclists and motorcycle groups. And we do not need millions; in fact the best financial year in our history featured total donations of little over £68,000.
    
   One of the most important aspects of the services offered by the NABD is our system for making financial grants to help disabled riders to pay for the necessary adaptations to bikes, trikes and sidecar outfits. Now for the first time since 1999 we have been forced by the current financial situation to suspend this grants system due to lack of funds.
    
   It is our fervent hope that this awful situation is a temporary one, but without a marked resurgence in support from within the motorcycle scene this much needed service, and others, will not be available to those fellow bikers who need it so much if they are to regain their freedom and independence through motorcycling.
    
   Please don't leap to the incorrect conclusion that the NABD is in danger of disappearing, this is not the case and nor will it be the case in the foreseeable future. However, in the current economic climate, more people than ever are requesting our help and we have already paid or agreed to over £74,000 worth of grants in the 8 months of this financial year. To put that into perspective, our previous record in one entire year was just over £70,000. Whilst we can afford to pay for these, we cannot, at the present time, agree to any more. We simply don’t have the money.
    
   The NABD needs your support now. If your club is having a party, why not make it a fund-raiser for the NABD? Why not ask your local bikers pub to run a raffle or a party to raise funds for the NABD? Or you could simply become a member of the NABD for £20 (you don't have to be disabled to join and support our aims). You can buy NABD supporters patches and other NABD merchandise via the shop on www.nabd.org.uk we also have You've Been Nabbed 21 rally tickets for sale via the web site or by calling 0844 415 4849

   Please help the NABD in its hour of need, it's the biker’s charity and bikers are the only people who make it all work.
    
   Donations can be sent to: NABD, Unit 20, The Bridgewater Centre, Robson Avenue, Urmston, Manchester, M40 7TE or you can donate on line www.nabd.org.uk or by phone 0844 415 4849
    
   The NABD, is a biker's charity run by bikers for bikers with disabilities and it needs your help now...
    
   Rick Hulse
   NABD Chairman