Power to the pedal in charity cycle ride for vulnerable adults

Cycling friends put power to the pedal to raise money for vulnerable young adults across Merseyside

A group of Merseyside friends will be cycling the length of the country in a bid to raise funds and awareness for a Salvation Army project that supports young adults with additional needs. 

The LEJOGers as they have affectionately named themselves based on the route they will take, Land’s End to John O’Groats, will take on the charity cycle for The Salvation Army’s Recycles in Liverpool, a programme that works with some of the most vulnerable young adults in Merseyside.

Working alongside The Salvation Army’s Strawberry Field, which supports young adults with barriers to employment, Recycles Merseyside, which is based in Belle Vale, offers bike repairs and a bike shop all under one roof. As well as promoting cycling, Recycles also provides an innovative training programme in bicycle maintenance and repair for young adults aged 18 – 30 with additional needs. 

Providing skills, boosting confidence and creating friendships, trainees and volunteers refurbish donated bikes, saving them from landfill, and then sell back to the local community at a fraction of the price of a new bike, turning full circle with all funds going back into the programme. Trainees also have the opportunity to complete a City and Guilds qualification in bicycle mechanics, opening doors to further opportunities and the job market. 

Phil Doragh, project coordinator at Recycles and a member of team LEJOGer said: “We all have a passion for cycling and have all been involved in Recycles in some way seeing the great work that the programme does for people within the region, the benefits it has on young people and how it helps them, and raising funds for the programme means that the great work can continue.

“I’ve been part of the Recycles team now for nearly ten years and I have seen first hand the support that has been provided and the potential that people have reached thanks to The Salvation Army. While the journey will be challenging, cycling over some terrain we aren’t used to, the end goal will spur us all on, knowing that a lot more people will be supported in the future.”

With ambitious plans to complete the legendary journey in 11 days, the charity cycle will begin on Friday, September 12, with the team looking to raise £5,000 for the work of The Salvation Army’s Recycles programme in Merseyside, all of which have had association with the scheme in the past from employees and volunteers to customers.

Ian Clarke will be joining Phil on the near 1,000-mile ride and said: “For me, riding to help others really adds another level of purpose to cycling. I’ve been serious about cycling for around 12 years now and this will be my biggest and most challenging ride I’ve ever attempted but I’m lucky to be doing it with a great bunch of lads and I’m excited to push my limits again, in the name of a great cause.”

For anyone looking to support the LEJOGers, and contribute to the work of The Salvation Army in Liverpool through Recycles Merseyside, they can do so via donations to www.justgiving.com/page/lejogers