Fundraiser gets on his bike to raise funds

A fundraiser has decided to put his pedal power to good use to raise charity funds.

Keen cyclist Mike Bowen, a 78-year-old retired businessman from Wortham near Diss, has decided to raise funds for the Hospice by taking part in the London Marathon’s 2.6 Challenge.

Mike said: “On Sunday 26 April, the largest fundraiser in the world – the London Marathon – would have been staged. It is now cancelled because of COVID-19, and thousands of charities have lost out. Furthermore, the virus has created an estimated shortfall of £4 billion for UK charities.

“I heard about the London Marathon’s 2.6 Challenge, which lets anyone can do anything they choose, as long as it involves a 2 or a 6 or both and gets sponsors.”

For his 2.6 Challenge, Mike, who rode in the inaugural RideLondon 50-mile event to raise funds for Great Ormond Street Hospital, will on Sunday, 26 April, ride the perimeter of his garden on a course 0.13 metres long, 20 times (2.6 km).

After a break, he will repeat the 20 laps, (2.6 km) take another break and ride eleven more laps (1.4 km). He will have ridden 2.6 km 2.6 times (a total of 51 laps and 6.6 km).

Two days later, wearing his favourite Marmite top, he will ride 26 km on the road to complete his 2.6 Challenge event. This route will take him from his home to Hopton, going by Wortham Ling, (Low Road), Redgrave crossroads, Gressingham Foods, Thelnetham crossroads and Hopton Primary School.

Mike’s wife Lesley, a naturopathic doctor, has also supported the Hospice.

Lesley organised a shoe sale fundraiser in 2015, which saw 1,600 pairs of shoes collected from the Waveney Valley area. All funds from the sale event went to the hospice and shoes that were not sold were gifted to the charity’s shops.

Mike said: “We have close personal connections to West Suffolk Hospital past and present, and through them, this led to a visit to a visit to St Nic’s.

“We were enormously impressed with the wonderful care taken with end-of-life patients. We left determined to help the cause, this led to the shoe sale and now the current need to support the NHS, hospices, and care homes staff.”

You can support Mike’s efforts here: www.justgiving.com/fundraising/mike-s-2-6-challenge4461