A team of cyclists from JCB are embarking on a massive fundraising challenge to enhance the lives of children and young people with cancer.
Hoping to raise £100,000, 42 cyclists will take part in a 42,000km, 80-day challenge – the equivalent of riding around the world.
Money is being raised for Hannah’s Hope, a fundraiser set up by JCB welding apprentice Hannah Roberts, 20, who was diagnosed with brain cancer just months after joining the company.
Hannah, who will turn 21 on the final day of the challenge, was given just 15 months to live in September 2022 following a diagnosis of glioblastoma. While she has undergone surgery to remove the cancer, along with radiotherapy and chemotherapy, a trait of the condition is that it re-grows.
With the help of JCB, Hannah and her family have already raised £250,000 to afford treatment in the USA when she needs it.
Now she is hoping to raise £200,000 to buy and equip a luxury holiday lodge for families under the care of the Teenage Cancer Trust. The lodge, based at Mercia Marina, in Willington, Derbyshire, will enable families impacted by the disease to spend valuable time together.
Hannah and her mum Gail Iredale visited the JCB headquarters at Rocester on Monday to get the challenge underway. Gail said: “JCB have never left our side in whatever we have faced and we will be forever grateful to Lord Bamford and the many JCB people who have raised funds for us and just shown that they care.
“Now that Hannah has more energy, she wants to give something back and help others. Six teenagers or young adults are given the devastating news they have cancer every day and they really need something to look forward to. We want to make the lodge a place for respite, recuperation and making memories for these families.”
JCB principal engineer Aaron Turner, event organiser and a founding member of the JCB Cycling Club, explained: “The Bamford family wants to show its continued support for Hannah, and George Bamford, who is a keen cyclist, came up with the Around the World in 80 Days challenge.
“There will be 42 JCB cyclists taking part and it is very much an international effort, with employees from many of our UK factories taking part as well as employees based in Pune, India joining in.
“Over the ten-week challenge we will be clocking up the miles with individual road rides and group outings, including a route to Mercia Marina where Hannah’s lodge will be sited. We’ll also be topping up the miles with spinning classes at the JCB World Headquarters each Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.
“Many of the cyclists met with Gail last week and after hearing first hand their inspirational story, we are determined to make a difference for them by raising at least half of Hannah’s £200,000 target.”
To donate to the cause, go to the JCB JustGiving page