A team of 20 staff from Liverpool Women's Hospital have completed a 107 mile bicycle ride to raise money for the hospital’s charity, The Kitty Appeal.
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| Members of #TeamKitty after reaching the finish line at Liverpool Women’s Hospital along with sponsors and organisers. |
The ride, which began at the country’s only other dedicated hospital for women in the UK in Birmingham, took the team two gruelling days to complete – with staff from Birmingham Women’s making the opposite journey.
Also riding for #TeamKitty in the event, dubbed 'To the Women’s on 2 Wheels', was Liverpool's brand new Lady Mayoress, Rachel Plant.
Jayne Parr, who completed the ride for #TeamKitty, said: "The whole experience was just amazing. We really came together as a team and got each other through what was a really tough two days. Half way through we were all saying that we'd never do it again, but now we're already thinking up the next challenge!"
The two teams began their respective journeys on Saturday morning before camping together in Market Drayton overnight and then riding for home on Sunday.
Lisa Masters, Fundraising Manager at Liverpool Women’s Hospital, said: "This was an idea that the two hospitals cooked up between us, and was a great way to raise awareness of the amazing work we do for women and their babies, whilst raising some much needed funds for two extremely worthy causes. Women's health and maternity care are things that every single person will need at some point in their lives, even if only at the very start, so our’s is a cause that everyone can relate to. We’d like to thank everyone who helped the event go ahead, especially our main sponsors OCS."
The ride was facilitated by Bikeright!, the largest cycle training organisation in the UK, and its employees volunteered their time for free. Jo Somerset, Director of BikeRight!, said: "We were delighted that our staff from volunteered to support this challenging ride. As well as raising money for a cause that is very close to our hearts, it has the additional impact of promoting healthy activity for the participants and everyone who is watching the ride."
To sponsor the teams, or make a donation to their charities, you can visit the following link http://www.justgiving.com/Lisa-Masters.
Eileen Rock, Fundraising Manager at Birmingham Women's Hospital, added: "It’s great to be joining forces with Liverpool Women's Hospital for such a great cause. Our hospitals have a long history of providing dedicated care to thousands of women and their families and our staff are incredibly proud of the care they provide. A wide range of staff including doctors, midwives, volunteers and support staff will be pedalling to raise vital funds for the hospital charity and we look forward to a continued partnership with Liverpool Women’s Hospital."