Inspirational nurse to take on exhausting 70-day cycling challenge
An inspirational paediatric nurse is set to embark upon a gruelling 70-day cycling challenge to raise money for children's hospices.
Francesca Lennon is aiming to cycle 3,200 miles in 70 days in a bid to raise £500,000 for the 54 children's hospices across the UK.
Her journey will see her visit all 54 hospices in the UK starting with Helen & Douglas House in Oxford on Monday, June 20, and her remarkable route will conclude on Thursday, August 25 at Charlton Farm in Bristol.
And just eight days into her challenge she will arrive in Shropshire to visit Hope House Hospice in Oswestry on Tuesday, June 28.
The Buckinghamshire-based nurse has worked with seriously ill children for more than 10 years.
And she has recently founded Children’s Hospices Across The UK (ChatUK) – a project creating a network between independent UK children’s hospices, and educating the nation about the service they provide.
Francesca said she wants to show the families of seriously ill children how much people care, and she explained how the challenge was inspired in part by adventurer Ben Fogle.
She said: "ChatUK is inspired by the children and families I have cared for as a nurse, seeing first-hand what they face every day and the difference the support of a children’s hospice makes.
"I wanted to bring people together to raise awareness and funds for children’s hospices and to show families of seriously ill children how much we care - but I didn’t know how until I attended a talk by Ben Fogle where he said to ‘Find your Everest’.
"This led to the idea of cycling around every children’s hospice in the UK.
"Given I didn’t own a bike and hadn’t ridden one since I was a child, it has definitely been an Everest to get to where I am today.
"I am incredibly privileged to be a part of children and families lives at some of the hardest times imaginable and am very grateful that ChatUK will enable further support for seriously ill children across the UK in getting the care they need and deserve.”
Just four months before the start of the challenge, Francesca experienced her own personal loss, when her close friend’s son Henry died from Acute Myeloid Leukaemia at nine-years-old.
She will cycle an average of 46 miles a day and her trip will see her make stops in Oxford, Birmingham, Stoke-on-Trent, Manchester, Sheffield, Blackpool, Isle of Man, Carlisle, Belfast, Newcastle, Liverpool, Coventry, Loughborough, Cambridge, Ipswich plus many more.
The money she raises will go to the Together for Short Lives National Fundraising Scheme, which will then be split between all the children's hospices.
For more information about Francesca's journey and ChatUK visit; justgiving.com/team/CHATUK
