Story
The Ride
This July, Lee Oldaker, Ray Gore and Alan Peake are taking on the John O'Groats to Land's End cycle.
Over 10 days, they’ll cover 1,000 miles, riding the length of the UK from the very top of Scotland to the very bottom of England.
It’s a serious challenge, long days in the saddle, unpredictable weather, and the physical and mental test that comes with covering that kind of distance day after day.
They’ve chosen to do it in support of George’s Fund. 🧡
From George’s Family
George woke up his normal cheeky self one morning, but after he had wolfed down his marmite on toast, he was sick. From that moment, little did we know our lives would be turned upside down forever.
After George had been sick, he had a lie-down. When he woke up, his face had dropped on one side, so we called 999.
We were rushed to Birmingham where, the next morning, George was diagnosed with Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG), a highly malignant brain tumour. DIPG affects children almost exclusively between the ages of 4 and 11. Children typically experience very few symptoms before diagnosis, and the condition progresses rapidly. Due to the location of the tumour, survival rate is 0%.
In George’s case, the tumour had haemorrhaged, which explained how suddenly everything changed. We were told he could die at any moment. In the consultant’s words: “You have been hit by lightning.”
Six weeks later, on 12th October 2020, George passed away at home, in our arms.
From George’s Fund
When George was unwell, we were incredibly grateful for the support we received from a number of charities. Their care meant we could focus on bringing George home and surrounding him with love.
In his memory, we set up George’s Fund.
The fund supports primary-aged children across Herefordshire, helping them overcome physical and emotional challenges through the great outdoors. It’s about giving children the chance to build confidence, feel happier, and spend time outside, something that meant a lot to George and continues to help us as a family.
If you’d like to support Lee, Ray and Alan as they take on this challenge, thank you so much. Every donation will go towards helping more children in Herefordshire.