Charities
Cyclists Fighting Cancer (CFC) awards shiny new bikes, tandems and specially adapted trikes to children and young people who have been affected by cancer throughout the UK and Northern Ireland. We encourage cycling as the best form of exercise based rehabilitation for those children undergoing and recovering from cancer treatments. To encourage them further we also give bikes to their siblings and in many cases their parents in order that they can take part in an activity as a family once again after what can be years of hospitalisation and disruption. Cycling not only improves physical health it also stimulates mental wellness and self esteem. Please visit our webiste at www.cyclistsfc.org.uk to read some of the amazing testimonials from the children and families that have accessed our services.
SOS Children is the world’s largest orphan and abandoned children’s charity. Our vision is “a loving home for every child”. Supporters worldwide enable us to provide a new family and home for more than 78,000 children in 500 unique Children’s Villages in 124 countries. Once children are taken into an SOS Children’s Village we give them the love and security of an SOS mother who cares for them as they grow up. We provide our children with education, health care and support as they grow into independent adulthood. Vocational training schemes give further opportunity to the young people in our care. Our Family Strengthening Programmes extend our work into the wider community and as a result we reach many hundreds of thousands more children. To read more about our work, please visit our website at www.soschildren.org
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Adrian Wood - The Flying Banana
Hi, thanks for visiting my page. Through Virgin Money Giving, you can sponsor me and donations will be quickly processed and passed to charities. Virgin Money Giving is a not for profit organisation and will claim gift aid on a charity's behalf where the donor is eligible for this. I really appreciate all your support and thank you for any donations.
PHOTO - STOCKING UP ON THE CALORIES !!!
My motivation
For those of you who know me, you will have to agree that I am not the greatest gift to sporting prowess. Michelin man himself would have beaten me in a race 2 years ago. This ride will simply be the ultimate physical and no doubt mental challenge of my life. For this (and for most wild, irrational ideas in the Wood household) I have my children to "thank"! Around 18 months ago, as I entered the second half of my century, I knew I wanted to do something "big" to cement the goal of shedding 21kg in weight but it was only when the pounds finally dropped off about 6 months ago that the crazy idea of a long distance ride began to infect my consciousness, galvanised by comments from the children to the effect that in all probability I would pile back on the lost weight within 2 years, as statistics amply demonstrated. So, having acquired a bike, this is my attempt, for once, to prove them wrong…….
Preparation and the event:
I shall be undertaking a solo, self-funded, unassisted cycle ride, the length of the UK, of over 1000 miles, from June 5-19, riding an average 70-75 miles per day, through some of the hilliest parts of the UK. As I have not yet strung together 2 continuous days' cycling of 75 miles this ride will involve at least 14 Personal Bests! When I proudly told a cycling friend that I had hit 70 miles one Sunday, he replied rather too knowingly that I should be congratulated but that "I ain't seen nothing yet" until I had got up each morning, coaxed aching muscles into action and repeated the same every day over a fortnight. His level-headed advice has been the greatest motivation to not overdo the training too early!
Apparently, I shall be climbing the equivalent of over twice the height of Everest from sea level (lucky I cannot remember big numbers) and will require additional energy requirements during the fortnight equivalent to eating over 300 extra bananas with 150 fig rolls (cripes - where will they fit?). Figs and cycling? On reflection, perhaps I will give the figs a miss....
The charities I am supporting through VirginMoneyGiving:
Frankly, as this ride is definitely not being been undertaken for fun, I need a HUGE incentive to get me there. To pile on the pressure, I have chosen 2 charities to support:
Cyclists Fighting Cancer:
is child focused and, by using donations to award bikes and trikes etc to children who are going through or recovering from the mill of cancer treatment, helps children develop and focus their energies on a pleasurable activity that acts as one of the "best forms of exercise based rehabilitation" for youngsters under treatment. The charity has received praise from Lance Armstrong, seven times winner of the Tour de France and someone himself who benefited from cycling as an aid to recovery from cancer treatment.
SOS Childrens' Villages UK:
Offers care and homes to orphaned and abandoned children in some of the more vulnerable parts of the world. The charity supports local communities by offering assistance in the construction of nursery and secondary schools, medical centres and other educational facilities. They arrange new mothers to look after the children and support families at risk to avoid abandonment occurring in the first place. The charity is active in over 120 countries and offers support to nearly 80,000 children through their Children's' Villages scheme.
If you would like to consider selecting any of my other preferred charities (whether or not as an alternative), they are:
Bumblebee Conservation Trust: - seeking to halt the alarming decline in the native UK bee population, that could have disastrous results for pollination levels and therefore food production. See http://www.justgiving.com/flyingbananabumblebee
FRAME - funding research into using alternatives to animals for medical experiments, with the ultimate aim of ending animal experimentation where possible. See http://www.justgiving.com/flyingbananaframe
A BIG BIG thanks in advance for any support you can offer. It would mean a lot to me personally and act as the best pain relief possible for my dodgy knee to know there are people out there willing me on………..
Recent donors
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Jim & Alison from Hamilton £10.00 (+ £2.82 giftaid) 25.07.10 Drove past you - in total admiration - on road UP from Blairgowrie & met you in Braemar cycle shop next morning. Hope you exceeded all your expectations for 4 worthy charities. Fantastic achievement. |
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Anonymous £20.00 (+ £5.64 giftaid) 06.07.10 |
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Rebecca Glover £20.00 (+ £5.64 giftaid) 28.06.10 Well done! |
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Gemma Glasspole £20.00 (+ £5.64 giftaid) 23.06.10 Well done Adrian - an amazing achievement |
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The Greenwoods of York £50.00 (+ £14.10 giftaid) 18.06.10 Well done Banana Man - what a fantastic achievement! |
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Jeanne, TP and John Robert £75.00 16.06.10 Magnificent Adrian, good on you |
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Kevin Joynes £20.00 (+ £5.64 giftaid) 16.06.10 Well done so far Adrian - keep those nipples safe! Kevin Joynes, Birmingham Office |
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Alison Bond £20.00 (+ £5.64 giftaid) 14.06.10 Sorry have only just got round to this - am SO impressed with what you are doing and your updates have been a highlight of the email box - the Russian refernce didn't go un-noticed |
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Mike and Judy Landy £20.00 (+ £5.64 giftaid) 13.06.10 Adrian - you have our undying admiration for your way of coping with arrival at the second half century. Love to join you for a mile or three, but sure I couldn't keep up! |
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Richard & Sally Franck £30.00 (+ £8.46 giftaid) 12.06.10 Keep cycling!! Fantastic effort. |
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Katie Vaughan £5.00 (+ £1.41 giftaid) 11.06.10 Good luck Adrian, really enjoying your updates back in the office! |
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Catherine Robins £20.00 (+ £5.64 giftaid) 11.06.10 Keep going Adrian! |
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Zoe £20.00 (+ £5.64 giftaid) 10.06.10 Sounds like it's all going well! |
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Tracey Brown £5.00 (+ £1.41 giftaid) 09.06.10 Good luck Adrian! |
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Liz and Mike £50.00 (+ £14.10 giftaid) 09.06.10 So impressed Adrian - remember it is only pain! Your bath awaits in Pudsey. |
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Claire Law £5.00 (+ £1.41 giftaid) 08.06.10 How can I not donate after reading your updates - they brighten my day |
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Christina £10.00 (+ £2.82 giftaid) 08.06.10 Good luck... I hope the weather sorts itself out! |
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Danielle Coghill £10.00 (+ £2.82 giftaid) 08.06.10 Keep going Adrian - fantastic effort with the bike rides and indeed the email updates! |
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Olly Mangiapane £20.00 (+ £5.64 giftaid) 08.06.10 Adrian, I have to say this is a fantastic effort. Best of British to you and I hope the weather improves soon! |
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Janice Perkins £10.00 (+ £2.82 giftaid) 08.06.10 Adrian very well done and love your updates but do feel the pain (or thankly i don't!) best wishes and hear soon |
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Sue & Scott £30.00 (+ £8.46 giftaid) 06.06.10 Good luck, Adrian - you're a brave man. And what a great time to go, too. Genius! |
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Andrew & Angie £20.00 (+ £5.64 giftaid) 06.06.10 More to come! |
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Carol and Ian McMullan £20.00 (+ £5.64 giftaid) 06.06.10 Good luck Adrian! |
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Jamie Hender £15.00 (+ £4.23 giftaid) 05.06.10 Are you there yet! When I have my mid-life crisis i'm going to get a Porsche! But seriously I'm going to get a PORSCHE!!!! Do your best and enjoy the scenery Lots of Love Jamie Oscar and Jasmine xxx |
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Greg Lowson £50.00 (+ £14.10 giftaid) 04.06.10 £50 isn't compensation enough for all of those bananas |
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Nick £14.00 (+ £3.95 giftaid) 03.06.10 £1 a day :) Here's money for a mad adventure which is being attempted by an amazing dad! |
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Alice Holt £10.00 (+ £2.82 giftaid) 01.06.10 Adrian, Best of luck with your biker challenge!! Look forward to hearing all about it - don't forget that Christina has already set a very high standard!! Alice |
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Alan Davis £20.00 (+ £5.64 giftaid) 01.06.10 Good luck Adrian, don't get your bike nicked, it could be a long walk! |
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Rodger, Mary, Pete, Liz and Sue £30.00 (+ £8.46 giftaid) 31.05.10 We should have seen it coming that rainy evening last December when you turned up in Derby on your bike. What next? Trans-Siberia? Good on you! |
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The Mathers £20.00 (+ £5.64 giftaid) 25.05.10 Easy on the figs banana man! We're full of admiration. Are you passing thru Brum? Fancy a bicycle escort? |
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Dan £10.00 (+ £2.82 giftaid) 25.05.10 Best of luck Adrian! |
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Anonymous £20.00 (+ £5.64 giftaid) 24.05.10 Best of luck Adrian. |
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The Lewis's £25.00 (+ £7.05 giftaid) 21.05.10 Good Luck |
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Mark Taylor £10.00 (+ £2.82 giftaid) 19.05.10 I do fear that you may be one banana short of a bunch Adrian. |
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Jamie and Zoe Armer £20.00 (+ £5.64 giftaid) 14.05.10 Best of luck Adrian. |
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Beverley Steventon £10.00 (+ £2.82 giftaid) 13.05.10 Good luck and take care! |
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Louise Donaldson £20.00 (+ £5.64 giftaid) 13.05.10 Good luck Adrian. Doesn't look like you're coming thoough St Albans - otherwise I'd be there!!! |
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Susannah Cassedanne £10.00 (+ £2.82 giftaid) 12.05.10 Wow, good luck, rather you than me! |
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Ed Stead £10.00 (+ £2.82 giftaid) 12.05.10 Best of luck with the challenge. |
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Rachel £15.00 (+ £4.23 giftaid) 12.05.10 Good for you, I hope all goes well. And good luck eating all those bananas! |
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David Allsop £10.00 (+ £2.82 giftaid) 12.05.10 I'm impressed (or I will be by 19 June !) |
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Amy Wood £20.00 11.05.10 Good luck, Dad. Will be thinking of you and all of the times we trained together... (I'm impressed you managed to keep up with my pace!) ;) Best wishes, and enjoy cycling up the scottish mountains! Love Amy xxx |
