A Midlands accountant and his wife are to take part with 300 other cyclists in the Big Battlefield Bike Ride in aid of Help for Heroes in June.
Dave and Anne Darlaston aim to pedal the 350 miles from Brussels to Paris, raising much needed funds to allow Help for Heroes (H4H) to continue their work assisting the rehabilitation of members of the Armed Forces who have been injured in action.
The challenge is to mark the 100th anniversary of the start of World War One and the route will take participants through many of the 1914-18 battlefields.
Mr Darlaston, partner at the Midlands office of national audit, tax and advisory firm Crowe Clark Whitehill, said: “Richard, Anne’s son, has been in the Army for six years and, fortunately, has safely come through two six month tours to Afghanistan, something that a number of his friends and colleagues haven’t been lucky enough to do.
“Anne and I have been volunteering at events for H4H over the past few years and are keen to add our further support through this event.
“We will be stopping at different places, cemeteries and landmarks on the route to take in some of the history and remember those who sacrificed their lives for our freedom.
“Many injured soldiers will be joining the ride to cycle with us so we will see first-hand the remarkable recovery that they can make from horrific injuries with the support they get from H4H that isn’t available from the Government.”
The couple are pledging to raise £2,600 each including through an opportunity for businesses to sponsor their cycle shirts at £1,200 per shirt.
Towards this they are starting the ball rolling with £1,000 of their own money – with Gift Aid H4H will get £1,250.
In total, together with donations and fund-raising events, they hope to bring in around £6,500.
Midlands managing partner Johnathan Dudley said: “This is a fantastic pledge by Dave and Anne.
“As part of its ethos Crowe Clark Whitehill has always emphasised the need to give back to the community, and this is an example of how that is put into practice.
“We are really pleased to be sponsoring Dave and Anne and to be associated with Help for Heroes, which supports those who put their lives in danger for our country.”
The June 1-8 event, involving five days in the saddle, culminates in the Hero Ride through London to the Cenotaph.
Donations can be made at the couple’s respective charity pages at – Dave, www.bmycharity.com/DaveDarlaston, and Anne, www.bmycharity.com/darlo50th.
