Get On Your Bike For Help The Aged! UK

Main Category: Seniors / Aging
Article Date: 15 May 2008 - 3:00 PDT

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Discover the joys of 'pedal power' this summer by signing up to Cycle London to Amsterdam 2008 - and help raise vital funds for disadvantaged older people.

The exhilarating three-day journey, which takes place from Friday 19th to Monday 22nd September, will see participants cycle 300 km from London to Amsterdam - the bicycle capital of the world!

Help the Aged is currently offering a 2 for 1 entry fee and the Charity is encouraging people to team up with a friend for the trip. This will provide the perfect opportunity to train for the event together as well as embarking on a weekend to remember!

The 2 for 1 offer includes an entry fee of just £49 each for two people compared to £99 for one person and is available until the end of May. Participants also need to commit to raising £1,150 in sponsorship.

This carbon neutral* adventure starts in London, with cyclists discovering the beauty of the Essex countryside before departing from the port of Harwich. On day two, they will follow the bracing Dutch coastline to the fishing port of Scheveningen and then journey through Kennemerduinen Nature Reserve. The final leg will take the team to Amsterdam's Vondelpark and onto the all important finish line!

To mark their impressive achievement, cyclists will enjoy a celebratory dinner in Amsterdam, and then have the opportunity to discover this fabulous, buzzing city.

Gill Parrella, Events Manager at Help the Aged, said: 'Cycle London to Amsterdam 2008 is a fantastic opportunity that will see participants cycling to the vibrant city of Amsterdam whilst enjoying amazing views, meeting lots of new people, and raising money for a worthwhile cause.

'There is still plenty of time to prepare for this great adventure so why not make the most of our 2 for 1 offer and get a friend to sign up too? You can have fun training together whilst getting fit and making a real difference to the lives of older people in need.'

For further information on how to take part in the event, please visit http://www.helptheaged.org.uk/events, email events@helptheaged.org.uk or call 020 7239 1922.

Notes

1. For more information, please call Nicola Shirley in the Help the Aged Media Team on 020 7239 7590 or email nicola.shirley@helptheaged.org.uk

2. * Support vehicles will accompany cyclists throughout the event (both in front of and behind the group). Help the Aged will record the mileage of the vehicles and on their return will enter the information into an approved scheme, such as Target Neutral, which then calculates the vehicles' carbon emissions and the amount needed to pay to offset them.

3. Help the Aged is the charity fighting to free disadvantaged older people in the UK and overseas from poverty, isolation, neglect and ageism. It campaigns to raise public awareness of the issues affecting older people and to bring about policy change. The Charity delivers a range of services: information and advice, home support and community living, including international development work. These are supported by its paid-for services and fundraising activities - which aim to increase funding in the future to respond to the growing unmet needs of disadvantaged older people. Help the Aged also funds vital research into the health issues and experiences of older people to improve the quality of later life.

Help the Aged