Hospital staff cycle for charity

Four hospital staff members are gearing up to cycle from London to Edinburgh and back again, to raise money for the Stoke Mandeville Spinal Foundation.

The gruelling course will start in London on 26 July and see the team cycle up to Edinburgh and back, returning on 31 July. Over six days, the team will ride an average of 140 miles per day for 118 hours – travelling a total of 875 miles each; that’s 1,400 kilometres or the equivalent of 33 back-to-back marathons!

The cycle will raise money for the Stoke Mandeville Spinal Foundation, whose main aim is to improve the quality of life for people who have been affected by spinal cord injury. The money will go towards a new purpose built research facility, which will be concerned with practicalities of spinal cord injury, as well as pushing back scientific frontiers.

The team, named ApresSCI, is made up of five cyclists, four of which work at Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust: Susie Scorer, occupational therapist, Claire Guy, rehabilitation programme lead, Ian Garlington, director of property services and David Griffiths, assistant director of operations.

David Griffiths said motivation for the cycle is both professional and personal: “This is a small way of saying thank-you to the patients, their families and the dedicated staff and volunteers at the National Spinal Injuries Centre at Stoke Mandeville Hospital, which I had the privilege to manage and is a very special place to me.”

Ian Garlington says: “The opportunity to support the spinal cord injury team at Stoke Mandeville as we progress with the exciting plans for the creation of the innovation and research centre is very compelling. The investment of our time into this cycle is nothing compared to the benefits of the work the Spinal Foundation pioneer.”

To support the team and donate to this great charity, please visit their just giving page at www.justgiving.com/apressci.