Sheffield woman to cycle from London to Paris to raise money for Sheffield Children’s Hospital

Rachel Anderson, who has raised more than £5,000 for the charity so far, will be going on a four-day ride which starts in London with a friend on June 8.

She said: “I hit a bit of a low in my life last year and I was inspired to live a life of relentless positivity to move myself forward again.

“So, when my friend, Andrea asked if I would join her in cycling from London to Paris for charity, it ticked the box as something positive which I could invest my time and energy into.

“I love a challenge and I am delighted to be raising funds for Sheffield Children’s.”

Making London as their starting point, they will go through the English English countryside from Kent to Dover.

Once across the channel, the French part of the cycle involves quiet country lanes, through to traditional market towns and the rolling green hills of Northern France.

A breathtaking finish then awaits, cycling around the Arc de Triomphe and along the Champs Elysées, before finishing at the Eiffel Tower.

Rachel said: “My friends and family know I love a challenge, so I think they were just glad that I decided to take the ferry across the channel and not add some swimming to the challenge.

“I had great ideas of building up my miles to confidently manage the 160 miles over the first two days of the ride, but I work and have kids so it’s just been a matter of putting as many miles in as I can in the time that I have."

Helipad to reduce delays for critical patients

The challenge will support Sheffield Children’s Hospital where it is needed most, including by building a new helipad on the roof of the Emergency Department.

Currently, air ambulances land in Weston Park where trauma patients are then stretchered across a busy road under a police escort before entering the Emergency Department at Sheffield Children’s Hospital.

The helipad will reduce the delays for patients who need urgent critical care from across South Yorkshire, Derbyshire and Lincolnshire.

With more than half the cost having now been raised, it is hoped with support from the public that fundraising for the £6m project can be completed this year.

Rachel said: “It’s exciting to be raising money for the helipad as it’s such a visual project to be raising money for. It will really help ensure that very poorly kids will quickly be able to access the brilliant care that Sheffield Children’s gives.”

Rachael Thomas, Events Fundraising Officer at The Children’s Hospital Charity, said: “We are so thankful to Rachel for her incredible support of Sheffield Children’s. She has raised a phenomenal amount towards our new helipad already, which we hope can be funded by the end of this year.

“As Rachel continues her relentless positivity, it’s wonderful to know that she will also be supporting a project that makes such a positive difference for children across the region who urgently need critical care as soon as possible.”

You can support Rachel’s fundraising by visiting: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/rachel-anderson59

Alternatively, you can take on your own event for Sheffield Children’s by visiting: www.tchc.org.uk/events

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