It was only planned to be a stopgap after the pandemic hit plans for the usual cycling marathon but now GM Fundraising says it is making its GMF100 Cycling Challenge an annual event after totting up £55,000 raised by the would-be one-off.
The GMF100 Cycling Challenge saw over 90 riders cycle 100 miles in teams from their respective premises on Sunday 8th August in the event organised in place of the usual single marathon of all riders.
Founder Gary Morton, announcing the new plan this week, said: “We have been delighted by the support this new event received and have now added this to our scheduled events for 2022.”
The funds will go to the Hope House Children’s Hospices charity which provides palliative care for children with life-limiting conditions and support for their families, both on site and in their homes.
The event was sponsored by Epwin Window Systems, which Gary also credited with coming up with the idea for the event.
GM Fundraising is its largest single donor to Hope House Children’s Hospices and has raised over £2million since it was set up in 1995. It costs £6.5 million every year to run, with over 95% of annual costs met through charitable donations.
Gary concluded: “The atmosphere on Sunday was incredible with live team updates streaming across our social media platforms. After such a tough year for the charity, it felt great to finally begin fundraising for such an important cause. The money we have raised will do so much to help the children at Hope House.”
