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Folkestone to Paris Cycle Challenge – Fund Raising Event

Our team set off early from Folkestone to travel to their start point in Calais and for the long ride ahead to Paris. The first day being the longest took in the coastal route down to Dieppe passing through many quaint French towns and villages where the team took advantage of the many delights France has to offer, in particular, food and beverages.

From Dieppe on Day 2 they started the journey inland to Paris, taking in part of the Avenue Verte as they headed for their overnight stop at Gisors. Mechanical issues aside, and the summer heat didn’t deter the team spirit as they took in the sites of this part of France.

Day 3 and the final push into Paris and the finish line on The Champs-Élysées, fuelled by some very big breakfasts and what appears to be the odd stop at some fabulous looking patisseries along the way. The predicted weather forecast was correct; it was a very hot day in Paris as the Arc de Triomphe loomed into view and the team rode to victory. Not content with battling with the traffic in this area they then rode over to the Eiffel Tower for a photo opportunity as well.

The serious side of this event was to raise money for Pilgrims Hospices but judging by the unprintable photos, our team had an incredible bonding experience and pushed each other to complete the gruelling miles to finish as one.

Well done to everyone involved from our MD, Tom Locke, event organiser Anthony Buckley and to Mat Avery for putting in the miles only just taking up cycling in 2025! Also huge thanks to our clients Jake Ford from CML and friends Liam Beadle who came along for the fun – collaboration and team spirit in its truest sense cycling 254 miles with a little over 8800 feet of elevation climbed – not forgetting our support driver Ryan Nash and our good friends at Brittania Coaches in Dover who supported us with a mini-bus which they reconfigured so that we could store the teams bikes, bags and transport from Paris back to Folkestone – thanks Ben – we’d highly recommend Brittania Coaches should you require the hire of vans, coachs and more!

Many of you will know our charismatic Anthony Buckley (Pants) who organised the event and claimed to be quite the proficient cyclist…however, less the 100 yards out of Calais he managed a close and personnel experience with French Soil – donate and we’ll send you the video!

The Pilgrims Way Challenge – Fund Raising Event

Whilst our team were stretching their legs on the smooth Franch tarmac another member of staff was pulling on their hiking boots for the 21.7 mile hike between Dover and Canterbury following Roman Roads and well-trodden footpaths passing through some very picturesque villages in East Kent, including some very impressive stately homes across Waldershare Park and onto the beautiful village of Patrixbourne, despite the sunny days we have been having the Nailbourne was still in flow!

With rest stops sited in the churches along the Pilgrims Way, staffed by many Pilgrims Hospice staff and volunteers, who made sure that everyone was staying hydrated and fuelled for the journey to Canterbury, and for some very hardened walkers onwards to Wye for the 34-mile route!

Completing the route in 6.5 hours, Greg, along with hundreds of other entrants braved the dry and dusty trails across the countryside and for the final walk-through Canterbury to the finish line.

Please show your appreciation for the hard work, training and the personnel time given up by our teams who spent their weekend raising vital funds to support the incredible services that Pilgrims Hospices offer to those in need of care across their Hospices in Kent.

If you can, donate here for our Pilgrims Hospices Fund Raising Weekend  (    https://www.pilgrimshospices.org/event/pilgrims-way-challenge-2025/ )    that would be really appreciated – as of 23^rd June we are nearly at our fundraising target but would really like to hit that and raise a few more pounds!

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