This month a team of seven amateur cyclists will join over 200 Help for Heroes supporters and beneficiaries cycling from Lille to Arnhem, a journey totalling over 350 miles, to help provide lifelong support and care for our wounded servicemen and women.
The 2017 ‘Big Battlefield Bike Ride’ through France, Belgium and The Netherlands is to commemorate World War II and roughly follows the 1944 route of the Allied Forces through the Low Countries towards the finish point of Arnhem, the focus point of Operation Market Garden.
‘The Jersey Cows’ team will hear from expert battlefield historians throughout their journey, helping to bring the history of World War Europe to life, and will witness along with their fellow riders the annual commemoration of the parachute jump which has come to epitomise this period of military history.
Sarah le Sueur, Nikki Jones, Carrie Taylor, Gemma le Sueur, Emma Bennett, Katriona Hollywood and Jo Barnes, some of whom have previously taken part in this annual event and have been training together since 2012, have so far raised more than £24,000 in sponsorship through fundraising pages, events and donations. Their goal is to raise a grand total collectively of £30,000 .
Team member Gemma le Sueur commented: “Every time we do this trip we meet the most inspiring people, along with their incredibly supportive family and friends, which is always a very powerful and humbling experience. The sponsorship money raised from the cycle will enable those with injuries & illnesses sustained while serving in the British Armed Forces to learn new skills, live independent lives and have a more positive outlook for the future. We are extremely thankful to all those who have donated to our fundraising efforts so far, but would like to particularly thank our sponsors Jersey Dairy and Stan Markland of ProFreight for their continued support and belief in us.”
Eamon Fenlon from Jersey Dairy said: “When we heard about ‘The Jersey Cows’ taking part in the Big Battlefield Bike Ride for Help for Heroes, we were keen to help them with their fundraising efforts as it fitted so well with our community support programme. We of course loved their team name, but their passion and continued support for Help for Heroes really impressed us. “
To donate to the team, visit https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Nikki-Jones17. You can also follow their training progress, learn more about their fundraising activities and follow them on their cycle itself through their Facebook event page (‘The Jersey Cows sponsored by Jersey Dairy’).