“There was a great team spirit and camaraderie throughout the 24 hours…It has been a real incentive to raise money for beneficiaries who do such vital and important work.”
On the weekend of the 1st and 2nd September, a combination of Emmaus Lambeth employees, volunteers and Companions all took part in our Solidarity Spinathon. Solidarity is a key element of the Emmaus ethos, by showing support to those who are less fortunate than ourselves. Our Spinathon was this year’s major solidarity event, with the proceeds going to both The Pavement Magazine and Emmaus Iasi.
The Spinathon consisted of a non-stop 24 hour static bike ride, where each cyclist took it in turns to complete a 1 hour ‘shift’ of continuous cycling. The occasional participant did more than one shift, with staff member Andy Antell actually completing three 1 hour slots. The event kicked off with a 2 hour stint by Operations Manager Matt Yule:
“I was due to do a 100 mile bike ride about a month ago but unfortunately a leg injury meant that I could not participate. This time around I was fit enough to get back on the bike even if it was not going anywhere! I guess at least with a static bike ride there is less chance of having an accident.”
Aside from employees, our Companions also completed some shifts on the bike, with Loui stepping in as a reserve just 15 minutes before the 7am-8am shift. Another Companion who participated includes our very own Matt who summed up his experience as follows:
“I very much wanted to be part of this Solidarity event, and was happy to do one of the night shifts. Listening to music on my headphones meant that the hour went quickly, and there were no after-effects apart from being a little bit saddle-sore from the static bike!”
The event finished with the second of two shifts by our Chief Executive James Hayes. Danny Daly, who is Finance Director and Chair of the Solidarity Committee, summed the event up as follows:
“There was a great team spirit and camaraderie throughout the 24 hours, and even during the night there were always two or three participants on hand to supply refreshments and support. It has been a real incentive to raise money for beneficiaries who do such vital and important work. We know the impact that a publication like The Pavement has, both in raising awareness of important issues within homelessness, and the practical benefit of its Listings directory. In addition, Emmaus is a worldwide movement, so to undertake solidarity for a community in Romania, helps us to highlight this.”
The Spinathon proved to be a great success as the combined distance covered totalled 642km (401 miles), which is the equivalent of the London-Paris bike ride, plus an extra 105 miles! We are still working towards achieving our £3,000 goal, but the aching limbs and ‘saddle-sores’ caused by this test of endurance have definitely been worth it.
Thanks to everyone who has donated so far, and a big well done to everyone who was involved!
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