Charity ride from Manchester to Caversham

Over June 6th and 7th, a team of eight of our parents cycled 200 miles from Manchester to Caversham to raise funds for our school.

Nick Clark, former international rower, started planning the epic ride in 2025 together with seven other experienced riders who joined him on this adventure. They all put in months of training preparing for the gruelling ride. Nick was joined by team members Jon Baverstock, Rob Teasdale, Matthew Hopkins, Jack Casserley, and power couple Dino Besirevic and Julie Richards. The riders were superbly supported by driver and social media influencer Tim Moody. 

The team started off in the most challenging of conditions: up the hills of the Peak District, in the constant rain, for several hours. The forecast of ‘unseasonably windy’ weather came true, with a strong headwind throughout the ride adding to the effort.  

At the end of day one, they were all declared ‘clinically dead’ by their smart watches and tracking devices, with the advice to recover with a ‘gentle walk’ or ‘time off’. Instead they decided to ignore the advice and jumped on their saddles the morning after, crossing the country via the Fosse Way, an ancient Roman road – the flat route being a welcome change from the previous day. They reached Woodstock by lunchtime and, with a cruising speed of 30 Km p/h, arrived at the school where a welcome party was joyfully waiting for them.

The riders took over the school’s Instagram feed for the weekend to document their journey and were spurred on by the warm messages of support and the donations coming in, which motivated them through the wet and windy stretches.

Nick Clark, road captain, said: “We were not expecting such a big welcome party when we got to The Heights, and it was fantastic to see so many people and children from our school community coming out to greet us. There is a big community around the school”.

Julie Richards said: “We’ve been really blown away by the support we’ve had from other parents at the school, family and friends. It’s not easy to train for an event like this alongside parenting commitments, but raising such a massive amount for the school our children attend makes the effort feel worthwhile”. 

Martha, a year 4 pupil and daughter of one of the riders said: “It was a very long way for daddy and the team to cycle but I am proud of them and the money they have raised. The party at the finish line was the most fun bit!”

Hayley Harrison, Headteacher of The Heights Primary School said: “I am constantly humbled by the incredible support our families show for our school. This amazing group of parents took on an epic challenge, giving their time and energy to help make a difference for all our children. Most probably, the funds raised will be invested to improve the school’s playground for the little ones”.

The fundraiser is still open and donations can be made via Just Giving. Warm thanks to our business sponsors: Immersum, BoxLogic, Pitch Build and TJMShot.