The latest fundraising escapades of Bognor Motors Vehicle Solutions (BMVS) caught our attention - 141 miles on ancient bikes in Home Guard uniforms!
Oli Hicklin, Director at BMVS, was part of a 26-strong group that donned Home Guard outfits and cycled from the Pink Pub in Bognor Regis to Pegasus Bridge in Normandy, France.
Their efforts have helped them raised more than £109,000 for two charities, All Call Signs (ACS) and Last Night a DJ Saved My Life (LNADJ), all in memory of a dear friend Danny Johnson, an experienced soldier and much-loved friend, who sadly lost his battle with mental health last year.
The Pink Pub to Pegasus Bridge fundraising event took place over three gruelling days, culminating on the 75th anniversary of D-Day on Thursday 6th June 2019.
Beginning in Bognor Regis, the group were waved off over the English Channel with a military vehicle entourage. Each day saw them cycling for 10 hours on bikes that cost no more than £25.
Oli explained, “In order for fundraising to work there are two key elements. Firstly, paying our own costs was crucial, so we could ensure that every penny raised reached the charities we’re helping. Keeping bike costs down helped with this.
“Secondly, the challenge has to seem impossible. Cycling 141 miles in polyester Dad’s Army outfits just didn’t seem to cut that, so we turned it up a gear by buying bikes that were pushing 100 years old.”
The Pink Pub to Pegasus Bridge challenge ticked all the boxes. Catastrophic bike failures made for a long, hard slog for the team. The adventure was both physically and mentally taxing. However, their efforts have been worth it. They have smashed their original fundraising target of £40,000 and now have ambitions to reach £125,000!
Ten percent of the funds raised will be used by LNADJ, a global dance music community which supports children in crisis, to create wells in Africa in memory of Danny. The remainder of the funds will help new charity All Call Signs, which was established after Danny’s loss. It is a peer-to-peer chat service made up of ex-servicemen and women who volunteer their time and efforts to support their fellow comrades.
If you would like to join United Rental Group in donating to the LNADJ and All Call Signs charities, you can do so here.