Date published: 04 April 2017 by Anna Jackson

A man from Wickford, Essex, who raised £1,600 for seriously ill children and their families by cycling from John O’Groats to Lands End has encouraged others to follow in his footsteps. The 1,089-mile route had always been on Paul Coombes’s bucket list and the 54-year-old was humbled to cross the finish line in aid of the families we support. Paul was inspired by the work of our Family Support Workers and was thrilled to raise £1,618. Encouraging others to fundraise, he said:

“Go out there and do it. I was touched by the positive feedback about the impact Rainbow Trust’s support has on families during such testing times, and I wanted to use this challenge to make a difference. It’s hard to put into words how I felt when I crossed the finish line. A year of planning, 1,089 miles, countless hills along the route, and the awful weather. For me it was a unique experience which I am humbly proud of.”

Paul said that our brightly coloured branded t-shirts and technical cycling jersey for the 15-day journey was a talking point which lead to increased sponsorship. He praised his wife Gail who also organised fundraisers for us while he trained. Paul, a regular cyclist, rides between 30 and 50 miles each week but during the challenge he was carrying approximately 13kg of kit and cycling an average 75 miles each day. Emma Haines, Director of Marketing and Fundraising, said:

“The more people take on challenges like Paul, the more families we will be able to help. We are so grateful for his support. We have a care team in Essex, which supports local families across the region, so this money will really help these families with a seriously ill child receive the vital support we provide.”