Pedal power adds to Holland Tour fundraising total

Monday 19th March 2018

Members of Royal Wootton Bassett Town's Under 12, 13 and 14 sides braved the freezing conditions on Saturday to raise over £1,000 for this year's Holland Tour as they cycled the distance between Bassett and Dordrecht.

The 'Highway to Holland' event was the final instalment of the fundraising efforts for this year's tour, and the amount it drew in means that over £6,000 has been raised in all – an absolutely outstanding total.

After setting up the bikes – collected from parents and the Oasis Leisure Centre in Swindon – underneath the Town Hall at 7am, the pedalling got under way an hour later, with each team member cycling during a half hour slot.

Coaches Steve Shaw, Tony Gleed and Paul Boys-Stones monitored the miles covered and offered motivation to the players throughout their stints. Meanwhile, Gareth Watkinson from Omnia Vinyl Ltd provided a support vehicle that helped keep them warm between stints on the bike.

In the end, it took the players six hours to cover the 336 mile (540 kilometre) distance, representing the length of journey between Bassett and the location of the hostel the tour party will be staying at in the Netherlands.

That was quicker than anticipated, though it was certainly much appreciated by all involved given the chilly weather!

Alongside the cycling, there was a cake stall, with goodies donated by parents, grandparents, family and friends of the players, and a tombola with Easter eggs also donated by parents.

Karen Watkinson, Claire Cranswick-Coates and Kristi Wallace manned these, while Angie Gleed and Kelly Pinegar were on the buckets, collecting money from passers-by.

During the morning, Royal Wootton Bassett's Town Crier Owen Collier offered his services to help promote the event along the High Street, while Mayor Councillor Steve Bucknell also paid a visit to show his support.

In total, £338 was raised from the cake and tombola stalls and buckets, while sponsorship – coming from local businesses including Leading Resolutions, HCS, Complete Aerial Solutions and Royal WB Tree and Landscaping – added £680 to the total, with more still to come in.

Huge thanks go to those who supported the event and donated their money! This will all go towards covering some of the costs for the tour, which is always a memorable, enriching experience for the players who get to go.

Massive congratulations are in order for the players who took part in the event too – the conditions were difficult, but they did a sterling job covering a massive distance.

Finally, for their outstanding efforts in organising all the events that have been held, time they have volunteered and support they have shown those going to Holland, sincere thanks go from the entire club to Karen Watkinson and her team of fundraisers. It's truly been a magnificent effort from you all and what have you done is massively appreciated.

Last modified on Monday 19th March 2018 at 09:25.