UPDATE: 25 SEPTEMBER 09. PHOTOSTREAM LINK IS NOW LIVE. CLICK HERE
1. What's all this then?
[to be
read with your best movie trailer voice] In late September 2009, one
man will don padded lycra shorts and ride over 350 miles in a charity
event of truly EPIC proportions. From Lundy Island in darkest Devon he
will journey the length of the south coast, arriving battered and
bruised -- but mercifully free of saddle sore -- in London after just 5
days. This gruelling endeavour will see him ascend 6000 metres, higher
than the UK's tallest mountain. Steve Rocliffe in a charity event about
Lundy, London and...[that's quite enough movie voiceover guy now]...
2. That's crazy talk! Why would you want to do something like that?
The
seas around our island nation could be some of the most productive and
wildlife rich on earth. Beneath the waves are landscapes as
awe-inspiring as those we see on land, with undersea cliffs, caves,
chasms, mountains, dunes and plains.
Colourful reefs, meadows
of seagrass and other extraordinary habitats are home to many thousands
of plants and animals, from tiny corals to the massive basking shark,
the world’s second largest fish.
Yet our seas are in trouble.
For centuries we have taken their riches for granted. Fragile habitats
have been destroyed, whether ripped up by fishing gear or contaminated
by industry. And less than a thousandth of 1% (0.001%) of the UK's sea
area is fully protected from all damaging activities.
Numbers
of basking sharks have dropped by more than 95%, while the common
skate, once abundant throughout UK seas, is on the brink of extinction.
Corals, seahorses, whales, dolphins and seals – all have been affected.
Fish stocks have collapsed and marine resources are depleted. It's a
great environmental tragedy, but one that has received little
attention: out of sight, out of mind.
3. Okay, okay. I'm sold. Now how do I donate?
I'm
raising money for both the Marine Conservation Society and Dorset
Wildlife Trust's Living Seas Programme. So if DWT gets your vote,
click on the big blue Donate button below and follow the handy
instructions. If MCS is more your thing, click here and you'll soon be parted with your hard-earned cash!
Whichever
charity you choose, know that donating through JustGiving is simple,
fast and totally secure. Plus your details are safe and they'll never
spam you.
And because this ride is as much about raising
awareness of the issues as raising money to help overcome them, I'll be
photoblogging the entire journey right here.
So please donate whatever you can now. As our favourite supermarket is fond of saying, every little helps.
Raised:
129%
Raised so far: £649.00
|
Go for it Lobster Boy, best of luck! Donation by Craig Beach on 28/09/09 |
£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid |
|
|
Hey mate, Hope all is going well so far... and that Lobster costume isn't too heavy! Donation by James Holder on 28/09/09 |
£30.00 + £8.46 Gift Aid |
|
|
Good on you Steve. Be careful in that lobster suit, I heard Emma's put itching powder in it. Donation by Trevor Struck on 24/09/09 |
|
|
Beware of the giant spotted ray seen cycling around the Kimmeridge area. He's gonna getchu!! Donation by Julie Hatcher on 22/09/09 |
£10.00 + £2.82 Gift Aid |
|
Good luck Steve! Donation by Nikki Stuart on 22/09/09 |
£10.00 + £2.82 Gift Aid |
|
|
Plus Bed and Breakfast!!! Donation by Caroline Bannister on 22/09/09 |
£15.00 + £4.23 Gift Aid |
|
|
Go Stevie go go go! Donation by Zoe Levey on 22/09/09 |
£5.00 + £1.41 Gift Aid |
|
|
Yay! Go Steve! Still missing Kimmeridge and all you crazy dudes. Looking forward to seeing the lobster suit in action! Donation by Jo Ferris on 22/09/09 |
£5.00 |
|
|
Best of luck- make sure you don't catch your tentacles in your spokes... Donation by James Norden on 22/09/09 |
£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid |
|
|
A lobster! Just typical of your sane insanity. May you always be this "random" - good luck + best wishes. Donation by Shopper on 22/09/09 |
£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid |
|
|
Giant Lobster on the London leg? Donation by M Lovatt on 22/09/09 |
£50.00 + £14.10 Gift Aid |
|
|
Lobsters on south beach...? Donation by Paul Middleton on 22/09/09 |
£25.00 + £7.05 Gift Aid |
|
|
Good luck Steve. I like to think my bike pass helped in some small way! :) Donation by Matt Higgs on 22/09/09 |
£5.00 + £1.41 Gift Aid |
|
|
Good luck, we know you can do it. Donation by Angela & Bill Bannister on 20/09/09 |
£50.00 + £14.10 Gift Aid |
|
|
boil in the bag? Donation by Steve Kelly on 18/09/09 |
£50.00 + £14.10 Gift Aid |
|
|
Go Estifff!! Cycle like the wind... and you better be sending us those lobster pics ;-) Donation by Amparo & Steph on 18/09/09 |
£50.00 + £14.10 Gift Aid |
|
|
Good luck Steve, hope the weather is what you want it to be... Donation by Jane on 16/09/09 |
£5.00 + £1.41 Gift Aid |
|
|
Dude, concentrate on the road and you'll stop feeling so damn old! Donation by Chris Pateman on 13/09/09 |
|
|
|
Good luck! Donation by Nicola Egan on 10/09/09 |
£10.00 + £2.82 Gift Aid |
|
|
have fun Donation by Will on 10/09/09 |
£50.00 + £14.10 Gift Aid |
|
|
Donation by Maeve O'Sullivan on 10/09/09 |
£10.00 + £2.82 Gift Aid |
|
|
Good luck Steve! Donation by Lara Hitchcock on 09/09/09 |
£10.00 + £2.82 Gift Aid |
|
|
Good luck Steve! Glad I won't be around to see you in your lycra! Would love to see the giant lobster though! Donation by Lucie D on 09/09/09 |
£10.00 + £2.82 Gift Aid |
|
|
Hope you don't get too saddle sore! Lk fwd to the lobster shots. Donation by Daniel Giddings on 07/09/09 |
£10.00 + £2.82 Gift Aid |
|
|
Hope it goes well and the sun shines on you! Donation by Helen Earwicker on 05/09/09 |
| * Total raised online: | £639.00 |
|---|---|
| Offline donations: | £10.00 |
| Mobile donations: | £0.00 |
| Total Raised: | £649.00 |
| Gift Aid plus supplement: | £173.18 |
* Charities pay a small fee for our service.
Find out
how much it is and what we do for it.