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"Under present circumstances a group bike ride, even for a fantastic cause such as Foundation Derbyshire, is not the responsible thing to do so we have postponed our event until the summer.
If in the meantime you see someone wearing a jersey like this, you'll know they are training for a 208 mile ride and raising money for Derbyshire's community fund, so please give them a wave.
Foundation Derbyshire are currently working on their Coronavirus Response Fund to support food banks and befriending services around the county, so the cause is as urgent as ever. For further information visit foundationderbyshire.org
In the meantime, a sincere thank you to all who have supported the ride so far. Thinking beyond our ride, its fantastic to see so much of the community working together at the difficult time, long may that spirit continue.
High Sheriff of Derbyshire, Lord Burlington
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Cycling an epic 208 mile cycle ride in just one day, the High Sheriff of Derbyshire, Lord Burlington, is raising much needed funds and awareness for the county's community fund Foundation Derbyshire.
The High Sheriff will be joined by a team of experienced cyclists with strong Derbyshire connections, including Alison Fovargue, Assistant Chief Constable Paul Gibson, Dr Andy Hooton, Michael Kirkland and world record breaking endurance cyclist and mental health campaigner, Leigh Timmis.
"Like the High Sheriff role, Foundation Derbyshire serves the entire county and hopefully this cycling challenge reflects that", explains Lord Burlington.
"Foundation Derbyshire is the county's community fund and supports our vital voluntary and community sector in towns and villages throughout the county. In my time as High Sheriff I have witnessed first-hand the positive impact that Foundation Derbyshire's grant funding is making to the quality of life of people all across Derbyshire.
As we circumnavigate the county, we'll be able to showcase the breadth of impact that the Foundation has, by visiting some of the amazing groups and organisations it supports.
Anyone who identifies with Derbyshire will identify with Foundation Derbyshire and by donating to the Ride Around Derbyshire campaign your money will be making a difference for many years to come".
Starting in Sudbury, the circular route will take the High Sheriff through Whaley Bridge, South Normanton and Swadlincote and give him the opportunity to visit Lifecycle UK (a bicycle refurbishment charity that trains HM Sudbury prisoners to be bike mechanics), High Peak CVS and the communities that pulled together during the recent Whaley Bridge Dam incident, SNaP Youth Project (that works with and supports young people to play a full and active role in their community) and South Derbyshire CVS Foodbank.
Providing Lord Burlington and his team with crucial outriding support on the day will be Derbyshire Blood Bikes, a local volunteer led charity that provides a free urgent medical courier service for the NHS in Derbyshire, transporting lifesaving blood, biological products and medication and saving our local NHS over £70,000 a year.
To get to the required level of fitness Lord Burlington has been helped by the experts at the University of Derby's Human Performance Unit, which provides sports science services to individuals, coaches and teams wanting to enhance their performance. Dr Tom Outram, Senior Lecturer in Biomechanics and Performance Analysis explained, "At the HPU we help athletes at all levels to improve, be they students, staff or people from our region".
Huub, who are so supportive of sports in Derbyshire, are donating bespoke jerseys for the ride, which they also helped design.
Foundation Derbyshire's Chief Executive, Rachael Grime, added: "This is a Herculean undertaking and we are delighted and humbled that the High Sheriff and his fellow cyclists are supporting us in this way. Over the past twenty three years, we have distributed over £15 million to local voluntary groups and organisations, but there is still so much more to do. There are many ways to support the bike ride, from making a donation, to becoming a Foundation Friend or simply spreading the word and we hope that people will be inspired to get involved and to help us".
The office of High Sheriff has existed for over 1000 years and whilst the duties of the role have evolved over time, supporting the Crown and the judiciary remain central elements of the role today. In addition, High Sheriffs actively lend support and encouragement to crime prevention agencies, the emergency services and the voluntary sector.
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