St David’s Point to Ness Point Cycle
On Behalf of: Beccles Sea Cadets
Undertaken By: Simon Newell – IWS M&E
Date: 25 – 28 May 2018
Over the second Bank Holiday weekend in May, IWS M&E employee Simon Newell, along with nine other local cyclists took on a West to East coast to coast cycle ride. Over the four days the team covered 400 miles cycling approximately 100 miles a day. The challenge began at St David’s Point in Wales on May 25 and concluded at Ness Point in Lowestoft, Suffolk on Monday 28 May.
At the start of the ride Simon imagined it would be four days of hell but it ended up being a most enjoyable bike ride. Simon credits the laughter and team comradely kept the whole team going and created a distraction from the aches and pains.
Simon undertook the challenge on behalf of the Beccles Sea Cadets who have recently purchased a new unit to house the Cadets and their related activities. The team decided to undertake this epic cycle ride to raise money to help purchase new teaching equipment to use in the new classrooms. Moving into the new unit will allow all classroom work to be done under one roof with a new larger parade area underneath. Simon is an ex-cadet, and remembers discussions taking place in the late 1980’s about purchasing some land to building a new unit on. Twenty eight years later this ambition has become a reality.
Since the 1970s, the Sea Cadets used a small metal building along Fen Lane. Many of the ex-cadets have gone on to serve in the Royal Navy (Simon and his sister included) and Royal Marines, with the majority happy to serve on ships but others finding it better in the air (jumping out of or dangling underneath aircraft) or under the seas. Others have gone on to serve in the Army and Royal Air Force also the police and Merchant Navy some of which are still serving today, hopefully the new unit can continue preparing for the future of our armed forces.
So far Simon has raised £320, cycling his way to a £100 donation from SSI Services. If you would like to sponsor Simon and his team, please follow the link: Sponsor