Pair’s pedal power in memory of Yvonne raised thousands

A cycle ride was a trip down memory lane for one fundraiser as he climbed into the saddle to raise £4,233.72 in memory of his wife of 40 years who was cared for by our Hospice.

Malcolm Quantrill, used pedal power to take on 170 miles, when he completed in his Mundford to Manchester Memorial Ride.

Malcolm was joined by friend Colin Rands on his journey which the pair completed in honour of Malcolm’s wife Yvonne.

Yvonne passed away at the end of March this year after a four year battle with cancer, having just celebrated her 60th birthday.

The ride marked the 50th anniversary of when Malcolm first visited his relatives in Timperley with his father and mother, during the 1966 World Cup.

Malcolm said: “We really did enjoy our cycle ride so very much, it was something I had wanted to do for a long time after first making the trip as a child 50-years-ago. For me it really was a trip down memory lane.

“My wife was never very happy about me doing the journey, but when Colin said he wanted to do it with me she felt a lot better about it.

“It felt really good doing the journey, especially knowing that we were raising funds for the Hospice. It was very enjoyable and along the way, I thought about Yvonne and chatted about things I remembered along the way.”

Malcolm and Colin, who have been friends for more than 25 years, set off on their journey on Thursday 4 August.

After leaving at 4am to avoid traffic, the pair arrived at their first pit stop, a café along the A17 ahead of schedule, where there was a welcome surprise as Malcolm’s sister and brother-in-law had travelled from Long Stratton to cheer them on.

It was then 80 or so miles to Newark were the pair rested for the night. The second day they headed towards Buxton and on the third day it was the home straight as the pair rode towards the finish line – Malcolm’s cousin’s house in Timperley.

Malcolm said: “We were so surprised by the reception we got when we arrived. We were treated to a champagne reception and everyone was there will party poppers.

“It really did feel like we were Olympic gold medal winners. All our preparations had paid off and it felt so good to see everyone waiting for us.”

Initially Malcolm had hoped to raise £2,500 but the pair’s determination saw them smash their fundraising target

“The support and care Yvonne received from the Hospice was excellent, her wish was to stay at home and with the care and support from the Hospice team we managed to do it,” said Malcolm.

Malcolm is also already thinking about taking part in the London to Paris cycle ride next year in a bid to maintain his fundraising efforts.

You can still show your support fort Malcolm and Colin here https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/mallycolin-ride.