Stuart Williams is 50 in 2015, and to mark the year he is taking on this incredible cycle challenge - and raising money for a new BWB project. BWB is one of LVCF's favourite charities and we have provided funds for them over the years, most recently for their toilet/bathroom facilities. Stuart has visited Tibet on a Redspokes tour in the past and wanted to do something special for BWB - they came up with a new project to create a bakery where blind adults will train to bake French bread. This is part of BWB's philosophy to help the students become independent and self-sustainable - it is not possible to adapt the entire world to the students, therefore the students need to learn to adapt to the world.
In Stuart's own words...
Since 1998, BWB has provided hope, taught braille and given practical skills to blind people in very poor parts of the world. In a Tibetan town called Shigatse, there is a plan to open a training bakery that could be self-supporting through its sales. A shop has been gifted to the project, but it needs financial help to get off the ground. Tibet is not an expensive place, which means the relatively small amount of money needed to start the project will make a huge difference to BWB students’ life chances. £2000 will get this much needed project started by enabling renovations to the shop and the purchase of an oven and mixing equipment. Anything that can be raised above this figure will help immensely with running costs and more equipment, which will support more student places.
I have travelled through Tibet several times and have seen first-hand what a challenging place it can be. Growing up there with blindness and securing a future must be doubly hard… This is a great cause and will make a BIG difference!
Crossing the Atacama Desert in northern Chile will involve pedalling over 1100 miles with a total ascent of 18000 metres. To make it that little bit more ‘special’, I’m camping, riding solo and have no support! However, sleeping in the desert under stars twinkling in the darkest imaginable skies should make it worth it!
Every penny you donate will go straight to the bakery project. So, please help make this happen!
Many thanks to Dermot, Stephen and Campbell at LVCF/Redspokes for helping set this appeal
