Static bike riders help to raise over £3,000 for charity
Up to 100 people took part in a spinathon event over two days in a bid to raise money for charity.
The event, which consisted of individuals taking to static bicycles, was held at Breckland Sports Centre, in Thetford, with funds going towards two charities.
A total of £1,086.19 went to the My WiSH Charity while a further £2,000 was donated to the MAGPAS (Mid Anglia General Practitioner Accident Service) air ambulance.
There were sessions on the bikes throughout both days with those taking part donating to the funds.
Organised by Pippa Munro, with the help of MAGPAS personal Andy Cornwell and Wayne Marshall, it attracted instructors from across the world including those from California in the USA, Greece, Italy, Cyprus, Poland, Portugal, Belgium, Scotland and Ireland.
Called the Great Eastern Weekender it was held in perfect weather in early May and Pippa was delighted with the event.
“We had the hottest weekend and we were blessed with perfect weekend weather,” she said.
She said she wanted to raise money for My WiSH as her 13-year-old daughter Daisy is being treated for Type 1 Diabetes at the West Suffolk Hospital.
The charity supports the work of the West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust and includes the hospital in Bury St Edmunds, Newmarket Community Hospital and the community services and the money is for the WiSH Upon A Star appeal with it being directed towards the paediatric diabetes team.
Fifty-year-old Pippa said her daughter was diagnosed with the illness when she was three years old and makes regular trips to the hospital for treatment from their home in Thetford.
“My WiSH has helped her (Daisy) to take part in a number of events they organise and I have nothing but praise for them and the paediatric team at the hospital,” she added.
She is now planning another similar event next year which is due to take place at Thetford Rugby Club, between May 16 and 19.
Spin-a-thons® are fundraising events as spinning has become a favoured fitness activity in recent years.
Participants commit to spinning® (or riding a stationary bike in place) and ask friends and family to donate to an organisation on behalf of their efforts.
A fun advantage of a spin-a-thon is that people literally stay in one place and creates a communal gathering place for announcements and entertainment throughout the event.
Fundraising manger, Sally Daniels, thanked Pippa for supporting My WiSH once again as she raised over £1500 back in 2020. She said “These donations allow us to support the diabetes team with their patient outings which are just so important. The sessions enable them to meet other children dealing with diabetes while they have fun BMX biking or playing laser quest, or to have cooking sessions and learn about food at Pizza Express or the new afternoon we have planned at Mowgli. We couldn’t do this without donations so huge thanks to all involved.”