Continuing the tradition of raising funds for local charities through the Foxley Kingham Anniversary Foundation, various members of the team this year set themselves particular challenges that they personally wanted to achieve, as well as raise much-needed funds.
What may be foolhardy to some may not be to others… Which is why some of them chose to endure a gruelling ‘up hill and down dale’ cycle route and one chose to be strapped to an aeroplane in flight doing acrobatics! Here’s how the team have raised over £6,100 for the Foundation so far.
Tough cyclists get on their bikes once more – with extra hills!
Our courageous FK cycling team took to the ‘gentle’ countryside roads once more, on Sunday 4th September, to cover an astounding 68-miles (68.2 to be exact), raising £2,800 so far, and still climbing.
The not-to-be-daunted team, who last year cycled 52 miles for the Foundation charity partner Level Trust, set their sights on the even longer, 68-mile Ride Essex circular route from Chelmsford, going by Braintree. They completed it in approximately four hours and 15 minutes, stopping just twice, for repairs, refreshment and to administer moral support!
“We decided we would do it,” says Steve Sansom, Associate Director at Foxley Kingham. We’ve done it every year for the last four years, except for when COVID-19 stopped us. We just didn’t expect quite as many hills!”
While this year’s cycle challenge turned out to be hillier, and longer than the quoted 64 miles, the determined five-strong team of Steve, Paul Bithrey, Rachel Hayler, Chris Powell and Duane Litchfield will not be deterred from taking on the challenge again in the future.
“I’m very proud of us, particularly Chris Powell,” adds Steve, about the efforts of the team. “He’d not been on a bike for 20 years, trained for just eight weeks, and completed the course. We all averaged around 15 miles an hour, which isn’t bad as the weather was a bit too hot.”
The event attracted many sponsors, including Water-to-Go, creators of BPA free water bottles based on technology originally developed for the NASA space programme.
“Water-to-Go very generously gave us all filtration water bottles and sponsored us very generously too. I’m always astounded by how generous people are with sponsorship and support,” says Steve. “It was a great day, rounded off with a burger and some nice cold drinks.”
Aimee takes to the skies again!
Not to be outdone by her own 13,000-foot skydive in 2018, courageous Accounts and Audit Senior, Aimee Dimmock, walked out onto an airfield on Saturday 20th August to be strapped to the wings of an aeroplane.
The ‘wing walk’ involved Aimee being strapped to a pole in the centre of the wingspan while her arms and legs were free, during the 120mph flight that lasted 12 minutes in the sky, including during the pilot’s ducking and diving acrobatics!
“I was looking forward to another adrenaline rush since the skydive, so I thought, I know, what about a wing walk? It’s crazy enough to raise lots of money. To encourage people to dig even deeper I’ll go for the air-acrobatics option.”
Aimee is delighted to have beaten her fundraising target of last year, with over £3300.
“I’m really pleased,” says Aimee, who took to the skies after just a short training session on the airfield. “I was prepared for the adrenaline rush this time, but it was a surreal experience having your arms and legs free. There was a point when I thought, what am I doing? But it was really fun.”
What next for Aimee in the charity fundraising stakes?
“Watch this space,” says Aimee. “I would love to top the wing walk and the amount raised. I’ll get my thinking cap on for something else. I’m open to suggestions!”
Aimee and the cycling team have done an amazing job raising money for the Foxley Kingham Anniversary Foundation charity partners this year, who are:
Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Charity’s Emergency Department Appeal (supporting CAMHS), CHUMS and Mind BLMK
You can still make a donation to support the Foundation’s cycle team and Aimee’s amazing efforts.
