Hello! on the 25th and 26th of March I will be cycling (or at least trying very hard to) from my home in Christchurch (near Bournemouth) to Liverpool to raise money for Joel's Bar22! 

My furthest cycle to date so far is 55miles and it almost killed me, ask my mum! My family have tried to convince me a shorter distance may be more sensible but I have made my bed, now I must cycle through said bed and beyond.  Go big or Go home!

If by some miracle I reach £2500 I will cycle in fancy dress of one of your choices as long as it is cycle safe! 

So what is Joel's Bar(JB)? 

Joel's Bar is a week-long Christian retreat for young adults that runs each year and aims to help people grow deeper in their faith in a friendly environment built on community. Ultimately we want to provide a safe place for people to encounter God whilst having a laugh with people their own age.  I'd love for you and anyone you know to come and experience it. Have a look here https://www.joelsbar.co.uk/  

Why is JB so important to me? 

Without JB I wouldn't have the Christian faith that I have today... Why is that important? Well, it was through my faith and JB, in particular, I was healed of my social anxiety and depression aged 17! I felt supported, respected and invested in as an individual and eventually was where I got over my fear of public situations especially public speaking. Without it I wouldn't have taken a gap year, I wouldn't have gone to university, I wouldn't have met half the people I now consider to be my closest friends both through JB and through my time at University and work. I am indebted to the work God did through me at JB and I want to share the opportunity for him to work in other peoples lives too just as he did in mine! 

Why fundraise?   

We don't think money should be a barrier for anyone to be able to come to JB and as such, we subsidise the cost of all of our tickets up to about 50% of the cost. We also offer a number of bursary tickets and will do all we can to make sure if someone wants to come they can!  This year we are particularly tight on money due to the ongoing effects of the pandemic and we are up against it to raise £14,000 by the 4th March if not then we won't be able to go ahead on 3rd-8th April this year! 

Why Liverpool?

This is where on the 27th March the magical Mike Oakley will be running the Liverpool Half marathon complete the JB Triathlon? 

What JB triathlon? 

Julian Carlsson is undertaking a mighty 20mile swim from 20th-24th March!  

Any support you can give whether financially, encouragement, tips for cycling so far, or prayers (I'm going to need them) will all be greatly received.  

Celebrate Trust is the registered charity that we sit under, all monies donated will go expressly towards Joel's bar.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.