𝗠𝗞𝘁𝗼𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘀 𝗖𝘆𝗰𝗹𝗲 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰 🚴♂️
𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝟭, an update from John Fletcher FCILT
We’ve arrived in Woking and Day 1 is done. We cycled 71 miles today. It was a long old day, with some sore legs, a tumble for Dom Pennifold (fortunately, no damage done), and a few laughs along the way! We’re looking forward to tomorrow when we will cycle from Woking to Newhaven, and then we get the ferry to Dieppe for our next overnight.
𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝟮
Today we have 65 miles and a climb of 3,500ft ahead of us as we cycle towards Newhaven for the next stage of the challenge!
With Nick Reynolds and Willen Hospice Milton Keynes
Keep the donations coming in. No matter how much, they are all really appreciated
Ed Jackson, founder of Millimetres 2 Mountains’ (M2M), believes that moving forward is essential in life, which is why 'Progress' is the fourth and final foundational pillar of the charity. M2M support people with mental health issues and physical disabilities through the healing powers of the outdoors and adventure.
Back in September, the Dawsongroup Directors completed their epic hike through the Fiz Mountain Range in the French Alps and the ‘Peaky Climbers’ raised a total of £58,223 for M2M.
We’re incredibly proud of our team of directors and looking forward to future fundraising events through our M2M partnership.
Watch Ed in the video below to find out why all types of progress are so important.
@edjackson8@millimetres2mountains #charity #fundraising
Long, high, remote, and at times very exposed, the tour de Fiz is as challenging as it is stunning, so it was an ambitious target for a group of senior executives, some of whom hadn’t been higher than the third floor of the office in years. I’m not going to lie, two hours into day one I thought it was doubtful we’d make the lunch stop never mind 20km a day for 3 days over the French Alps!.. Underestimate Dawson group at your peril though… what transpired was a journey of resilience, bonding, banter and blisters as 13 brave souls put their body and minds on the line for each other..and that was just surviving the refuge sleeping arrangements..
Through the guidance of our experts @qigongwitharron and @loisjackson8 we asked the group to not just step out of their comfort zones physically but also open themselves up to the wellness practices we integrate into the M2M programme - chicken Qi Gong, holistic breathwork and thought-provoking questions were received with open minds and the results across the group were tangible.
We couldn’t have hoped for more buy-in and this was most evident in the fundraising efforts… Combined, this legendary group raised a record-breaking and truly incredible £58k. Not in our wildest dreams did we expect a figure like that and the difference it will make heading into the next couple of years for M2M will be profound. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
A special mention goes to @freyaoliviadawson for her relentless commitment to both @dawsongroupopenhands and @millimetres2mountains , @chxchallenge for organising yet another incredible adventure and most of all thank you to Steve and his team for not just attending but fully committing and making this adventure one for the history books.
📸 - @ollybowmanphotography
The views at the top of a 2,400m (8,000 feet) climb certainly provides a different perspective – and that is exactly what the Dawsongroup Directors will be experiencing this week.
They will be raising money for Millimetres 2 Mountains (M2M), the charity that takes people facing mental health struggles through adversity on challenges across the globe to start them on a journey of change.
Perspective is the third of @millimetres2mountains ’s four foundational pillars and a key philosophy that @edjackson8 Jackson, M2M’s founder, believes is very important in life. Find out more in the video.
To sponsor this year's worthy challenge, click the link in the bio.
provide
#fundraising
And they’re off!!!
It’s day one of the Peaky Climbers Tour de Fiz and the Dawsongroup team have started their trek.
Their trek begins in Chamonix at an altitude of 3000 feet, with the highest peak at 8000 feet - where oxygen levels will be 25% less than at sea level!
We couldn’t be prouder of them and if you are able to support our team as they fundraise for the incredible Millimetres to Mountains the link is in our bio!
The second of Millimetres 2 Mountains’ (M2M) four foundational pillars is perseverance – and the Dawsongroup Directors will need to embody this during their epic three-day hike through the Fiz Mountain Range in the French Alps next week.
M2M believes in the undeniable healing powers of the outdoors and adventure, so this expedition is the perfect way to raise money for the charity. Find out more about the importance of perseverance from @edjackson8 , M2M’s founder, in the video below.
To sponsor this year's worthy challenge, click the link below.
/page/peakyclimbers2023
#fundraising
@millimetres2mountains
Dawsongroup is raising money for Millimetres 2 Mountains (M2M), the charity that supports people with mental health struggles and physical disabilities.
Our Directors are taking on an epic challenge for this worthy cause: hiking the Fiz Mountain Range in the French Alps over three days in September.
The first of M2M’s four foundational pillars is purpose – and this will be a key influence in completing this challenge. M2M’s founder, @edjackson8 , explains why purpose is at the heart of their philosophy.
To sponsor this year's worthy challenge, click the link below.
/page/peakyclimbers2023
#fundraising
@millimetres2mountains
Please show your support to the incredible @bongiovi73 who is running the London Marathon this Sunday in support of the amazing @willen_hospice !
You will find the link to Joanna’s fundraising page in our story. On her page Joanna shares the story of her brother and how Willen Hospice support him. You’re an inspiration Joanna and the whole of Open Hands and Dawsongroup will be cheering you on!!
It’s all part of the MD’s job description here at Dawsongroup truck and trailer!
John Fletcher FCILT tells his Cycling Story and his motivation for taking part in this week’s 157-mile Hadrian’s Cycleway Challenge in aid of Transaid, which is now only days away!
"For as long as I remember, I’ve loved cycling, whether as a kid on my hand-me-down Raleigh Chopper or, more recently, enjoying mountain biking the trails local to me in Woburn or cycling the roads of Beds, Bucks and beyond.
From social rides with a group of friends and with my family to solo cycling, being on a bike gives me a sense of well-being and helps in a small way to keep the bulges of middle age at bay!
Having completed a few personal cycling challenges in recent years, I was drawn to the Hadrian’s Cycleway as a bucket list coast to coast ride. We’ll be cycling amongst some of the most unique scenery and heritage this country has to offer. As a long-standing advocate for the work that Transaid does, it wasn’t a difficult decision to get involved for this great cause.
Sitting on the Transaid’s Road Safety Advisory Board, I’ve been fortunate to learn first-hand about the charity’s impact and understand the huge underlying need for the work it does. In a nutshell, Transaid supports governments and training institutions to deliver much-needed improvement to driving standards, in addition to giving rural communities access to vital, life-saving healthcare.
Training for the ride has meant trying to get out on the bike as much as I can. This has included some very hot days in the saddle whilst on holiday and latterly taking part in another charity event for Willen Hospice. Fingers crossed that the weather does its bit and stays dry and keeps the wind behind us!"
Get to know Gareth, the second of our Hadrian’s Cycleway Challenge team doing a 157-mile charity cycle ride later this week in aid of Transaid!!
"When I first put my name in the hat for this event in July, it seemed like a great idea - until the reality of cycling nearly 160 miles in two days hit me!
Also, I normally go mountain biking so getting back on a road bike was quite fun and painful in equal measures!
Over the last six weeks, I’ve been doing between 50 and 100 miles per week on the road bike along with early morning swims to build up my stamina.
So far, the experience has been great and I look forward to chasing John and Andrew for two days later this week!
Being a newbie at Dawsongroup - having only joined in June this year - it still feels weird being a new person in the organisation. That said, the welcome I’ve received has made me feel like a long-timer already, and the team at Avonmouth is nothing short of exceptional.
At home, I have a wife and two boys, aged 15 and 17. Both are gym boys but they also enjoy going mountain biking with me. However, they’re not so happy about me getting fitter as it now means they’ll have to work that bit harder to keep up!
The fact that John, Andrew and I can do a ride through such a beautiful part of the country whilst also raising money for charity is a privilege and an honour.
Transaid does amazing work in Africa. It transforms and saves lives through safe and sustainable transport programmes - empowering people to build the skills they need to transform their own lives.
For a charity like Transaid, small amounts can make a massive difference and can literally save lives!
I’m looking forward to our ride later this week and boring everyone with pictures of my travels across northern England!" #fundraising #cycling #transaid #hadrianscycleway
Get to know Andrew, the first of our Hadrian’s Cycleway Challenge team doing a 157-mile charity cycle ride later this week in aid of Transaid!!
"My interest and involvement in cycling began when I was 16 after I was mesmerised by the spectacle of the Tour De France on TV.
The race that year was the closest-run competition, won by just eight seconds, by an American rider called Greg Lemond. He won on the very last day, turning a deficit of around one minute into an eight-second win on the Champs Elysees. That was it, I was hooked!
Living in Wigan, the cycling terrain was great - either flat roads to Southport or inland to the areas of Rivington with summits like Winter Hill.
Gradually, the distances I was riding began to get longer and I’d disappear for hours; I just enjoyed the freedom and speed.
Moving to Huddersfield for three years at university, I carried on cycling. I rode with the local club and made good friends; some I still keep in contact with now.
After my studies, I landed my first job in Leeds which meant that I could continue living in Huddersfield and enjoy riding in the area.
A move with work to Kent followed a year or so later and, still living in Kent now, I continue to ride. Having initially moved to the area not knowing anyone, cycling provided me with an avenue to meet people and create a new friendship base locally.
When I signed up for the Hadrian’s Cycleway Challenge, I must admit, I knew nothing about what Transaid does, but I had heard of the charity. Having now studied its work, I’m pleased and excited to do something, along with my colleagues, that will help to raise money for the important and valuable work they do.
Training-wise, I’ve been motivated by the fact that we're doing this ride, and I’ve made sure I’ve ridden as much as I can. The weather has been amazing and, while on holiday in Rhodes recently, I managed to get some mountain biking in, which I really enjoyed. I might have to get one!"
The Hadrian’s Cycleway Challenge with @transaidorg !
Just over a week to go before John Fletcher, Gareth Williams and Andrew Muir from @dawsongrouptruckandtrailer squeeze into their lycra and take on a 157-mile coast to coast cycling challenge in aid of @transaidorg .
Please support their important and invaluable work developing safe and sustainable transport in Africa by donating whatever you can, even a small amount could help save lives and could make a massive difference! Find the link to donate in our bio!
Watch out for our updates next week as the team battles its way across northern England. #fundraising
