90 YEARS IN SONG: 2026 is a special year for Welwyn Garden City Male Voice Choir. We are celebrating our 90th birthday following the choir’s formation in 1935 by a group of Welsh men who had relocated to WGC. The choir is marking the anniversary with a range of special concerts and events including a tour in Belgium at the end of August. We will be performing at venues in Ghent, Antwerp and Ypres which will be a fitting culmination of our celebrations.

THE CHALLENGE: Two members, Stewart Hunt and Alistair Macdonald, have decided to cycle over 200 miles from WGC to Ghent in support of our nominated charity, Hertfordshire Mind Network.

Stewart and Ali are both in the Top Tenor section, and joined the choir in 2024 after our Men United in Song charity project. They both love the camaraderie of weekly rehearsals, concerts and gatherings in the pub.

They will be supported by friends, Dr Barry Costas (cycling guru and mentor!) and Steve Whitley for the main part of the cycle from London to Ghent.

The itinerary:

Day 1: Tuesday 25th: WGC to Greenwich (33 miles)

Day 2: Wednesday 26th: Greenwich to Folkestone (73 miles)

Day 3: Thursday 27th: Folkestone to Bruges (via Le Shuttle, 77 miles)

Day 4: Friday 28th: Bruges to Ghent (29 miles)

We then embark on our tour of Belgium with four concerts across three cities on Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

SUPPORT MIND: Mind work across Hertfordshire to support positive mental health and wellbeing. They provide a diverse range of services from eight Wellbeing Centres and other venues across the county. Funded locally, their services are available to all residents in Hertfordshire aged 18+ and they offer dedicated services for 5-18 year olds.

We would be very grateful if you can sponsor us for this very worthy cause!