They did it!
On Saturday our Diocesan Secretary, Diocesan Director of Ordinands and chair of our Safeguarding Management Group cycled the 54 miles from Salisbury to Winchester Cathedral and back in support of Christian Aid.
Our successful cyclists with the Dean of Winchester
The cycling trio of David Pain, Nigel Done and Steve Long have raised £1,300 for Christian Aid Week, which this year is highlighting the healthcare crisis in Sierra Leone, where ten mums a day die giving birth and where one in ten health workers were killed by the world’s worst Ebola outbreak in 2014-2016.
David Pain said:
"Thank you for your support to us as a team- it made the 54 miles worthwhile, although moving yesterday was a challenge!"
Repayments of international debts taken out to tackle Ebola are now hampering the country’s ability to rebuild its desperately inadequate healthcare services and cyclists of all ages are invited to take part, ringing their bells and adding their voices to calls on the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to ‘Drop the Ebola Debt’.
Last year Christian Aid groups and churches across Dorset raised £106,028 for Christian Aid Week. As well as the Big Bike to Brekkie and Chain of Solidarity, churches in the region will this year be organising door-to-door collections, hosting other Big Brekkies and holding a range of fundraising activities.
Sierra Leone is the most dangerous country in the world to give birth in. If there is no clinic in their village, pregnant women in rural areas can wait up to eight hours before an ambulance arrives. Others travel to hospital on the back of a hired motorbike, but the poorest have no choice but to walk for hours on foot. Many women and babies do not survive the journey, particularly in the hunger months from May to December when food is scarce.
Christian Aid is helping remote communities come together to build health clinics as well as training nurses to provide urgent care in communities and improving hygiene, so mothers and babies are more likely to fight off diseases.
Fiona Daborn, Christian Aid’s Dorset coordinator said: "Christian Aid Week is an amazing celebration to change the world, through generosity, solidarity and action.
You can still donate to Christian Aid via the cyclists' JustGiving page
or via the Christian Aid website
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