A WJ operative is about to embark on a mammoth journey for charity, a cycle ride from John O’Groats to Land’s End in aid of the CRADLE Charity.
Jason Riley a Hydroblast operative and his friend Peter Panacek will take on the huge challenge, unassisted, to raise money for CRADLE which their colleague Juliet Lindop, WJ Health & Safety Administrator is an ambassador for. It is a lifelong ambition for Jason alongside the aim to raise as much money as possible for the charity.
Beginning on June 15th they will aim to complete the over 960 mile journey by the 23rd June, completely unsupported, carrying all their equipment for camping and cycling with them. The two have been training for this for several months, regularly racking up over 80 miles on a single ride. Jason has even been taking his bike with him when working away to ensure he’s ready for the epic journey.
Then when lockdown restrictions allowed, they began cycling a couple of days at a time and camping to prepare themselves for the challenge. Most recently completing 220 miles over a weekend and spending the night camping in North Wales. Jason has expressed how excited he is to take on the journey and be able to raise money for a charity so important to his colleague within WJ.
Mrs Lindop was inspired to become an ambassador for CRADLE, who support people that have suffered early pregnancy loss due to the heartache of experiencing three ectopic pregnancies herself, one of which almost took her life.
In 2018 she started to follow a blog called My Ectopic Journey which resonated with her as the author had suffered a ruptured ectopic and had also fought for her own life.
“Then I was introduced to her Facebook group, CRADLE, where I was invited to become an ambassador and asked if I wanted to support my own local NHS Trust to which I immediately said yes. To start with this was just about setting up a Facebook group to raise awareness of CRADLE and the support network that was being developed,” said Mrs Lindop.
In May 2020 the group took its very first CRADLE Comfort Bags into Royal Stoke Hospital to the Bereavement Midwives in Maternity and started its ongoing relationship with UHNM NHS Trust. Mrs Lindop commented “I was very soon introduced to the team in SAU (Surgical Assessment Unit) where ladies are directed for surgical management of Ectopic Pregnancies and Miscarriages, and we deliver on average 20 Comfort Bags every 6-8 weeks.”
The Comfort Bags contain essential toiletries for ladies who are admitted and also contain additional items such as slippers, lip balm, hairbrush, a tea light to shine a light on their darkest hours, and sunflower seeds to grow in remembrance but by far the most important thing that goes in the bags is the “Dear Friend” letter which is heartfelt and directs ladies to the charity’s services.
The team at CRADLE also provides Comfort Packs to EPU (Early Pregnancy Unit) which contain tissues and a CRADLE signposting card. All toiletries are donated and no funds raised for the CRADLE Charity are used to fund this, moneys raised are used towards 75% funded counselling and 25% for printing costs, management of the website and other incidental costs.
Mrs Lindop added: “Owing to the COVID-19 Pandemic it has been difficult to hold fundraising events but in October 2020 we hosted online raffles to coincide with Baby Loss Awareness Week where I raised in excess of £700 with raffle ticket sales and donations.”
You can sponsor Jason and Peter’s ride here: