In the summer of 2021 Derek Megginson cycled from Land's End to John O'Groats to ward off the effects of retirement - he already had a history of cycling having made a 2,000 mile journey around New Zealand in 2009.

Now, as Derek prepares to celebrate his 78th Birthday, he is undertaking a new cycling adventure aiming to visit every Church of England Cathedral in England during the Cathedral Cycle Challenge to help raise much needed funds for The Bridges.

This journey will see Derek cover approximately 1,500 miles in order to visit 42 locations. The last Cathedral will be Lincoln from where Derek will cycle back to Hull via the Humber Bridge finally finishing outside Hull Minster on Saturday 28th May.

Derek knows that it will be tough, but believes that it will be worthwhile:

"The latest challenge I have set for myself is to visit every Cathedral in England by bicycle. Even though this will be a tough challenge it won’t compare to the real challenges caused by addiction that blight the lives of so many people. I have been a supporter of the great work done by The Bridges for some time and at a Bridges event during the summer, I was inspired by the presentation given by a Bridges’ graduate as he spoke of the programme that had changed his life”

There are 40 Church of England Cathedrals in England, ranging from Carlisle and Newcastle in the North, to Truro and Canterbury in the South. Two more are outside England so, as Derek can't cycle over water, he has decided to replace those Cathedrals with two Church of England Churches!

As Derek completes each leg the locations embolden. 

Please support this amazing effort and so help to support The Bridges - an amazing place.

1. Carlisle                   15. Wells                      29. Guildford 
2. Newcastle             16. Bristol                    30. Chichester
3. Durham                  17. Gloucester            31. Portsmouth  
4. Ripon                      18. Hereford               32. Winchester
5. Bradford                 19. Worcester            33. Salisbury
6. Blackburn               20. Coventry              34. Oxford
7. Manchester            21. Birmingham        35. St Albans
8. Liverpool                 22. Lichfield               36. Colchester
9. Chester                   23. Derby                    37. Bury St Edmonds
10. Sheffield                 24. Southwell            38. Norwich
11. Wakefield               25. Canterbury           39. Ely
12. York                         26. Rochester            40. Peterborough 
13. Truro                        27. Southwark           41. Leicester
14. Exeter                      28. St Paul's               42. Lincoln 

About The Bridges

The Bridges (run by The Forward Trust) is the only rehabilitation centre in the UK that offers specialised treatment to ex-offenders to help overcome their addiction to drugs and/or alcohol.

Alongside their substance misuse treatment programme, men at the centre have access to a range of other services which enables them to build the necessary life skills to build positive, healthy and happy future for themselves, their families and wider society.

The Bridges’ impact is unrivalled - 68% of the individuals entering the centre complete their full treatment programme (compared to the national completion average of 45%).

Since opening in 2004, The Bridges has supported over 450 men – many of whom have since remained in Hull and have contributed significantly to the strong recovery community in the city.

Your donation today will help ensure The Bridges’ live saving work continues.