Nikki Budd, a music teacher from Christchurch and her partner Mark Morley, will be getting on their tandem bike to ride 33 miles for regional charity Autism Wessex’s Bike Ride on Sunday 8 September.
Nikki said: “We’ve been riding a tandem for the last eight years. As we both have bad hips, cycling is a good sport to try and we bought a tandem so we could talk to each other on our rides. We were keen to take part because the ride looks like fun – plus we wanted to help a good cause. As a teacher, I’ve experienced some of the difficulties children face with autism so I’m hoping we can raise awareness and money for the great work Autism Wessex does.”
Councillor Stella Jones, Mayor of Dorchester, will officially start the ride, which will cover a 33 mile road route from Dorchester to Christchurch. All proceeds raised will go towards funding the charity’s vital services to support the local community.
Paul Reade, Autism Wessex’s Community and Events Fundraiser, said: “We’re delighted that Nikki and Mark will be taking part. We welcome anyone who’d like to join in the event – every penny raised will go towards helping to support anyone affected by autism in the local community so we hope that as many people as possible sign up to take part. The bike ride is not a race but a distance challenge – 33 miles is a substantial distance and we estimate it will take an average paced cyclist approximately three hours to complete.”
The Autism Wessex Bike Ride will start at 10am at the Old Market Car Park in Dorchester. Visit the Autism Wessex website to find out more and to book a place – www.autismwessex.org.uk/event_calendar – or phone Paul Reade on 01202 703597.
