Cyclists to light up roads in aid of Autism Guernsey
CYCLISTS will be lighting up the island’s roads on Saturday evening as Autism Guernsey revives its night ride fundraiser.
Set to take place for the first time since 2014, the ride will see cyclists of all ages gather at Autism Guernsey’s office along Grande Rue, St Martin’s, behind the garage, for a 6pm start.
From there, riders will embark on either a 10, 20 or 30-mile ride along three planned routes, with each finishing back at the office where tea and cake will be waiting.
Those interested in taking part are asked to register on the ride’s RaceNation page, with entry fees priced at £10 for adults and £5 for under-14s.
Under-14s must be accompanied by a parent or guardian, and all riders must wear helmets and have lights on their bikes.
Electric bikes are welcome.
Organiser Paul Watts was inspired to revive the event – previously run by the Guernsey Bicycle Group and sponsored by Healthspan – as a way of raising some much-needed money for Autism Guernsey.
The charity is set to lose annual funding of £30,000 it has received from BBC Children In Need for the last eight years at the end of this year.
‘I don’t really have any expectations to be honest, I’m just trying to reset what was done in the past,’ Mr Watts said.
‘I would just kindly ask that people who have said they want to ride do go ahead and register.’
He has planned out each of the routes on activity app Garmin Connect, and these are available to view on the registration page.
‘The 10-mile route is relatively flat and suitable for families, while the 20 and 30-mile routes are a bit more challenging and obviously take in more of the island,’ he said.
‘Ultimately it’s all for fun, so it doesn’t matter how long it takes you to do whichever route you choose.’
He added that all three routes would avoid Town due to its busy nature on a Saturday night.
While unsure as to how many people would turn up on the night, Mr Watts hoped that between 75 and 100 cyclists would take part, and that the event would raise about £1,000.
‘I hope everyone enjoys themselves, it was good fun back when it used to be held, so if it’s anything like that I’ll be happy,’ he said.
