Sheen school parents' 550km cycle raises £60k for school playground
Parents and staff from Sheen Mount Primary School in Richmond cycled from Land's End in Cornwall to London in just three and a half days to raise funds for new outdoor gym equipment and playground resurfacing.
Headteacher Tom Holmes was among the 39 parents who took part in the ride, which began on June 26 following months of training.
Playground project gets boost as Ride25 finishes with cheers and cowbells (Image: Sheen Mount Primary School) Mr Holmes said: "This is what it means to be part of a school community and myself and the four staff who joined on the ride very much feel part of that.
"People have made huge sacrifices in training in the lead-up to the ride and over the four days of the ride to raise vital funds for the school, which will be used for an exciting playground project."
The final leg of the journey saw the group joined by an additional 39 parents and three staff members for a 178km ride from Bath to London.
The riders arrived at Sheen Mount on Sunday evening to cheers, cowbells, and a community picnic.
Cyclists endure heat, injury, and hills to support Sheen Mount pupils (Image: Sheen Mount Primary School) The ride marked the culmination of a year-long fundraising effort to upgrade the playground at the three-form entry primary school.
Adam Jones, a parent at the school who organised the ride, said: "When we first suggested this ride we knew it was a huge challenge that would take the whole community to enable the riders to complete.
"Riders had to commit to a significant training plan that relied on friends and family to support.
"The commitment, tenacity, and capabilities of the riders allowed them to achieve the goals in sweltering conditions.
"It was a phenomenal performance from all."
Mr Jones, who has children in Year 6 and Year 3, led training rides through Richmond Park, Windsor, and as far as Brighton to prepare for the challenge.
Custom jerseys and cowbells mark Sheen Mount's epic fundraising journey (Image: Sheen Mount Primary School)
The event was supported by a number of sponsors, including platinum sponsor Swimway, which runs private children's swimming lessons in south west London.
Mathnasium Sheen and architecture firm ABL3 also sponsored the ride.
All 83 riders wore custom-designed jerseys, and families welcomed them home with cowbells branded with the Sheen Mount 'Ride25' logo.
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Donations can still be made at justgiving.com/team/sheenmountride25.
The challenge was not without incident, with one parent rejoining the ride after a hospital visit for a sprained shoulder on the first day.
Another father completed the journey to the celebratory picnic in a sling after fracturing his shoulder in a fall on the final day.
Despite these setbacks, the group remained determined, and their efforts have put the school on track to raise the full £60,000 needed for the playground improvements.
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