Two brothers have completed the arduous feat of cycling 300km in just 30 hours to help NSPCC Scotland keep children safe from abuse and neglect.
Tom and David Wallace clocked up the distance by cycling through the mountainous terrain of Scotland’s two national parks (Loch Lomond and the Trossachs and the Cairngorms), climbing almost 13,000ft, over two consecutive days.
They were inspired by Tom’s eight-year-old daughter Eilidh, who last month cycled 300km in 30 days to raise funds for the children’s charity.
She was spurred into doing the fundraising challenge after the NSPCC visited her school, Drymen Primary, before lockdown and spoke to the children about their right to be protected from abuse and neglect.
Tom, 41, and David, 43, pledged to undertake their strenuous challenge on the proviso that Eilidh surpassed her fundraising target of £1,000 – which she in fact doubled. The brothers, from Drymen, have now brought in extra sponsorship, with their current amount topping £3,500, including a £500 donation from the Bank of Scotland Foundation Match Giving Fund.
All the money will go to NSPCC Scotland, which helps protect children from abuse, and has provided a lifeline to hundreds of young people in Scotland through its Childline counselling service during the coronavirus pandemic.
Tom, managing director of the charity Stirling Community Enterprise, said: “Eilidh came up with the idea of raising money for NSPCC Scotland but it was important for David and me as well.
“We feel very fortunate that while we were growing up we did not need the support of the NSPCC, but we know there’s a lot of children out there who do need that help. In times like this, which are even more uncertain than before, it makes you appreciate what you have got and what others don’t have and we want to give back what we can.”
The brothers trained regularly during lockdown and completed the challenge with 15 minutes to spare. They set out from their home in Drymen at 1pm on Friday July 17, overnighted in Pitlochry, and then cycled the remaining 154km on Saturday July 18 – reaching their destination, about 30km south of Inverness, at 6.45pm.
David, a trainer at Lloyds Banking Group, said: “We were determined we were going to make it in the 30 hours. We were very lucky as we had no mechanical issues on the way, which is quite rare when you do that distance. But there were two big hills that we hadn’t expected, and the last hour was a little bit nerve-racking as we were pretty tired.”
Matt Connelly, community fundraising manager for NSPCC Scotland, said: “Tom, David and Eilidh have all shown such commitment and determination in completing their challenges and raising this money, and for that we are hugely grateful.”
Anyone who would like to add to the Wallace family’s total can donate at: https://bit.ly/2XspviC. Those wanting to take on a challenge themselves to help raise funds for the charity can visit www.nspcc.org.uk/what-you-can-do/charity-runs-cycles-and-challenges/charity-cycles/ride300/. The NSPCC Helpline is available for advice and support on 0808 800 5000 or via help@nspcc.org.uk.
