Fundraising
London Mayor amongst 14,000 riders cycling from London to Brighton for BHF
Over 14,000 cyclists pedalled their way to success in the 48th London to Brighton Bike Ride raising over £1.6 million for vital heart research on Sunday 15 June.
Joining riders on the sunny Sunday was London Mayor, Sadiq Khan and his family and friends.
After crossing the finish line, Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “The British Heart Foundation’s 48th London to Brighton Bike Ride has been a fantastic event. I was delighted to join 14,000 other cyclists on the 54-mile route, which took us from my home turf in South London to Brighton’s seafront, where amazing crowds gave all of us taking part a much-needed boost for the final push.
“Most importantly, all the money raised from today’s ride will go towards the charity’s Foundation’s vital research to save and improve lives by powering advances in cardiovascular science and healthcare, helping us build a healthier and better London for everyone.”
The London to Brighton Bike Ride is our flagship event and has been running for almost half a century – raising over £50 million over the years. Riders of all speeds and experience took on the 54-mile route from Clapham Common to the Brighton seafront, all with the same mission to fund lifesaving research.
Many of the riders taking part had a personal connection to the BHF’s goals of saving and improving more lives. This included lifesaver Andrew Parson whose quick actions helped save the life of his friend Paul Millbank during a bike ride together on 28 July last year.
Almost a year since one of the pair’s regular weekend rides took a very serious turn, and Andrew ended up giving Paul CPR. The friends had set off on a typical Sunday morning ride with Paul, 60, feeling fit and well. The keen cyclist regularly clocked up 150 miles a week in the saddle.
But a few hours later, he suffered a cardiac arrest, meaning his heart had suddenly stopped pumping blood around his body. Luckily, Andrew was able to perform lifesaving CPR until paramedics arrived.
After being given the green light by his healthcare team to start cycling again, along with a structured exercise plan to follow
Paul and Andrew decided to take on this year’s London to Brighton Bike Ride together and raise money for us. The pair see this ride as not only a celebration of Paul’s life but of their friendship too.
Andrew said: “It feels like a brilliant achievement, both of us crossing the finish line together today. This is a massive moment after what happened to Paul last year. He’s done amazingly and we couldn’t have asked for a better day, the weather and the atmosphere have been fantastic.”
Dr Charmaine Griffiths, our Chief Executive, who was there on the day congratulating riders as they crossed the finish line said: “It was fantastic to see the passion and determination of our riders on Sunday. This event is one of the highlights in our events calendar and, once again, the day was a real celebration of all our brilliant supporters.
“Without the commitment of our cyclists, we wouldn’t be able to fund the groundbreaking research that continues to revolutionise treatments and transform the lives of millions of people in the UK. We are always so moved and impressed by the stories of our amazing supporters and their reasons for taking part.
“The ballot for next year’s event is now open, so we’d urge everyone to sign up to secure their spot in this incredible event and help us fund vital research to save and improve more lives.”