Day 4 of the CyclingBuddy Charity Challenge for Hearts and Minds

The team at the finish

The fourth and final day of the CyclingBuddy Charity Challenge was a 145 km bike ride from Cadiz in Spain to Gibraltar, which included some tough climbs to finish the epic journey.

A big thank you to the Gibraltar police for closing roads and giving a police escort to all the riders, as well as a great welcome.

There was also an end of event celebration party...

All the funds raised during this event will be used to make a difference to the lives of children with autism in the UK and Ireland.

See http://www.heartsandmindschallenge.org/ for more information.

Day 3 of the CyclingBuddy Charity Challenge for Hearts and Minds

Keith Duffy putting a brave face on Day 3 of the charity cycle across Southern Spain for Hearts and Minds, just before setting off on the 130 km journey from Seville to Cadiz.

"I might have to cycle standing up today," tweeted Keith Duffy this morning.  "After tomorrow I never want to see a bike again!"

Here's what Keith had to say en route:

Just one more day to go....

Day 2 of the CyclingBuddy Charity Challenge for Hearts and Minds

Rik Waddon

Day two of the CyclingBuddy Charity Challenge in aid of Hearts and Minds was a 140 km ride from Ronda to Seville.  This is Rik being interviewed during the day...

"We covered it at record busting pace to finish in time to watch the Formula 1 qualifiers!" says Olympic hero Rik Waddon.  "Today respect goes to Tom Spencer: a teenager with no fear!"

Tom (in the plain black helmet) is in some of today's photos

The weather wasn't all good on day two: here's Keith Duffy in mountain fog!

Keith Duffy

Day 1 of the CyclingBuddy Charity Challenge for Hearts and Minds

“The CyclingBuddy Charity Challenge” is a cycling challenge that consists of cycling 300 miles across Southern Spain in 4 days.  A team from Hearts and Minds is taking part to raise more funds towards the £1 million target needed to build a centre of excellence for autism in Manchester.   It began today:

At the start, with Keith Duffy centre right of the photo

The facts about Day 1:

Paralympic cyclist Rik Waddon reported that Day 1 included some "cool climbs on the 120km from #Malaga to #ronda with belting sunshine!"  He and Keith Duffy were helped along the way by their personalised bikes kindly donated by Claud Butler.

Personalised bikes!

 The cyclists en route and an exclusive interview with Keith Duffy...

In the News: January 2013

The announcement that two of Team GB's Olympics cyclists will be joining the CycleBuddy Cycling Challenge charity cycle for Hearts and Minds in May boosted newspaper coverage in January.

The story got great coverage in the Manchester Evening News:

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/the-united-star-will-join-bmx-star-1239888

More and more families are successfully collecting old mobile phones to swap for an iPad from Hearts and Minds, and some are getting so many donations of phones that they are getting additional iPads for other children, or sending the spare phones directly to Hearts and Minds:

http://www.shoresideprimary.org/news_detail.asp?Section=8&Ref=323

http://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/2013/02/06/donate-a-phone-to-help-kids-just-like-kind-hemlington-girl-lucy-jo-84229-32755467/

Other families are using local newspapers to appeal for phones:

http://www.edp24.co.uk/news/nine_year_old_lowestoft_schoolboy_is_calling_out_for_old_phones_1_1793079
http://www.newmarketjournal.co.uk/news/latest-news/help-answer-mother-s-call-for-old-phones-1-4584306

http://www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/health/10150217.Mute_Greenwich_boy_could_communicate_with_family_thanks_to_unloved_mobiles/

And a reminder that it's not just children with autism who can benefit from iPad, they can be used to help with other special needs too, like cerebral palsy:

http://www.huntspost.co.uk/news/latest-news/hundreds_donate_phones_to_help_st_neots_boy_2_with_cerebral_palsy_get_ipad_1_1796685

Another way to appeal for phones is through a personal blog like this one:

http://aworldofspinning.blogspot.ie/2013/01/we-need-your-help.html

If your child needs an iPad please check out Hearts and Minds:

Website: http://www.heartsandmindsphones.co.uk/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/HeartsAndMindsUK
Twitter: @handmchallenge

Cycle round Spain with Keith Duffy and Paul Scholes

Yesterday, Keith Duffy and Paul Scholes confirmed that they will be joining the Hearts and Minds team for the Cycling Buddy Charity Challenge, a sponsored 4-day 300 mile bike ride from Malaga to Gibraltar in May 2013 to raise funds for the £1 million appeal to build a school in Manchester for children with autism.

More details about the Cycling Buddy Charity Challenge here:


http://heartsandmindsuk.blogspot.ie/2012/09/a-hearts-minds-sponsored-cycling.html

The Hearts and Minds mobile phone recycling scheme also raises funds that will go towards the school for autism.  Families can exchange 165 old phones for an iPad. 

If your child needs an iPad please check out Hearts and Minds:

Website: http://www.heartsandmindsphones.co.uk/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/HeartsAndMindsUK
Twitter: @handmchallenge

This scheme began in Ireland: http://www.autismirelandphones.ie/