Charities are winners after epic cycle ride

Dave Jordan (front) with Fleetwood and Barrow Lifeboat volunteers during the sponsored cycle ride from Barrow to Fleetwood.

But the journey, undertaken by Lifeboat volunteers from both of the ports, proved bruising for some.

A number of riders fell off their bikes, including Fleetwood Lifeboat member Dave Jordan, who was the main organiser of the event.

Dave fell into bushes three times and on another occasion he hit the ground.

The experience left him nursing a few bruises and a cut eye, but he said: “Apart from a few bruises it was a great experience and we’re delighted to raise so much money. I had a bit of trouble because I had new clips on my peddles and I hadn’t tried them before. When it came to stopping it was a bit of a problem!

“But generally the ride was fantastic and we had beautiful weather.”

Dave, 51, who grew up in Fleetwood but now lives on North Drive, Cleveleys, says there are plans to hand over cash to the four recipients in July. They are splitting the money between MacMillan Nurses, the Army Benevolent Fund, the Brain Tumour Charity and the Boathouse Group.

The latter group is raising funds to send Fleetwood man Liam Lenihan, who has the life-threatening condition Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, on trip to Catholic shrine Lourdes in France. Liam, 21, was a full-time student and loved to kayak regularly on Fleetwood boating lake, but he is now too ill to study or row. His parents, who are both Roman Catholics, are hoping to take him to Lourdes this summer.