'On yer bike!'
Wednesday 28 July 2010
Seapatrick Youth Pastor, Martin Montgomery, and rector of Tullylish, Revd Arthur Young, will climb into the saddle on 1st August and cycle round the Diocese of Down and Dromore, visiting every church in a week.
Martin explains...
"I was inspired (no pun intended) by the fundraising efforts of parishioners in our church to raise money for our spire, and thought to myself 'what can I do which has the potential to raise some cash in an unusual way, not through the usual channels, and which is creative at the same time?' I thought long and hard, and spoke to a few friends about an idea I had.
One of the friends I spoke to was Revd Arthur Young from down the road in Tullylish who liked what he heard and actually decided to join me in my fund-raising effort. We decided the split the money raised 50/50 between our Spire and a charity he is passionate about - the Northern Ireland Childrens Hospice.
My idea was to cycle through the Diocese and visit every church (there are about 120 of them) get a photo taken at each one and do it all in a week. Little did I realise that Connor Diocese had the same idea (and actually have completed their cycle) but that didn’t put me off and so the planning got underway.
I do have a confession to make at this point - I am worried about a little belly I am developing - so wanted to incorporate an element of getting fit into my fundraising and reduce the flab. Anyone who knows Arthur Young knows he is as fit as they come, being a keen marathon runner, and he is a good trainer while out on the road. We have gone out a few times, managing to cover about 10 miles an hour which is just about the pace we need to keep if we are to do this in a week.
We need to visit about 20 churches a day!!! We aim to leave on Sunday 1st August and arrive home for the 8th August to a hero’s welcome (joking).
We have already secured the support from some local businesses, including Roy Burns Cycle Shop, who has agreed to supply us with cycle equipment along with a generous donation. We hope to approach other businesses and are looking into how to best raise money on our travels.
I have deliberately kept this low key until now as I was unsure I could actually manage this feat - but as I am a believer in miracles, I have faith that Arthur and I will complete this (somehow!). What will you be inspired (pun intended here) to do??
Wish us luck, pray for us and donate if you feel inclined!"
More on this website as the story unfolds...