They saddled up aiming to raise £55,000, then upped their target to £70,000, and now, after passing the £80,000 mark soon after finishing, the Kelly’s Heroes cyclists and crew are setting their sights on breaking the six-figure barrier after their charity marathon.
(STOP PRESS: EARLIER TODAY, THE TEAM TWEETED THEY HAVE NOW PASSED £90K)
They had pedalled over 1,000 miles from John O’Groats to Land’s End, climbing 59,000 feet along the way, through good weather and bad, with the initial aim of raising £55,000 for We Mind and Kelly Mattters, the charity set up by Glazerite chairman John Hewitt in memory of his daughter Kelly. But donors and even passers-by had helped them to pass that well before they completed their 13-day journey on Friday (September 4). Now after passing the revised targets, they hope to make it £100,000 by the time the counting finishes – and they are already planning to repeat the exercise next year.
John set up the charity after Kelly took her own life in 2018 following a short battle with anxiety and depression. “This is something which sadly affects millions around the world,” he continued. “We don’t want anyone else to experience the pain we have, and we feel that the best way to remember Kelly is to do something positive in her memory and support others who are struggling with mental health issues.
“We will never forget Kelly and we will do all we can to help others in the same position she was, and hopefully make a difference.”
Prior to and during the ride, Kelly’s Heroes received support in the form of sponsorship and donations from the fenestration industry, as well as suppliers and customers, including main sponsors Veka and the Independent Network.
John concluded: “It’s been such a huge outpouring of support for what is a global problem that affects us all in some way or other, and the whole team are immensely grateful. We couldn’t have done it without them and every penny raised will go towards educating people and suicide prevention. The support received will literally help save lives.”
The team also received messages of support from sporting legends including former Arsenal and England footballer Kelly Smith MBE, current and former Northampton Saints rugby players Harry Mallinder, Alex Waller and Steve Thompson MBE, and cycling commentator Phil Liggett MBE.
