Trustee John’s 1,000 mile fundraiser

A 71-year-old Barnsley hospice trustee is cycling his age every day for 14 days to raise money for the charity.

John Pitt is cycling the famous 1,000 mile Lands End to John O’Groats route, averaging approximately 71 miles a day for a fortnight.

John, a keen cyclist and former triathlete, says: “I’ve no worries riding that distance in one day but doing it 14 days on the trot in whatever the weather throws at me will be the challenge!”

John has been a hospice trustee for eight years and is taking on this sponsored bike ride now as the charity has seen a huge hit to its usual fundraising activities and events during the pandemic

John said: “Barnsley Hospice is a much-loved community institution doing crucial work to support local people who have life-limiting conditions as well as their families and those close to them.

“The staff have been flat out providing care and support during the Covid pandemic but fundraising has been adversely affected with events and income opportunities severely reduced. I am hoping to raise vital funds to help the hospice carry on with its crucial work at this very challenging time.”

John, who lives in Cawthorne, will set off today (Sunday June 20th) and will finish on Saturday July 3rd.

He retired as a competitive triathlete in 2018 following a serious fall which means he’’s tackling this ride with 12 one-inch screws in his arm!

John will be wearing a Barnsley Football Club cycling shirt on some legs of the route to fly the colours for the town.

If you would like to support John’s efforts and encourage him on his way you can donate anytime via his GOFundMe page.

Barnsley Hospice provides compassionate, high-quality care for anyone in the borough with a progressive life-limiting illness, including cancer, motor neurone disease and heart disease.

The charity needs to raise nearly £2m each year to fund patient care and support for families. A further £1.6m is provided by the NHS Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG).