Hugh Maltby, Director of Bedford School Association, has never been one for kicking back and relaxing, and certainly not when there is 10,000 miles of cycling to be done – all in a bid to raise money for a local children’s charity.
Hugh set himself the herculean challenge of clocking up all 10,000 miles in just one year – enough to make even the fit among us wince, as this equates to the distance between Bedford and Adelaide in Australia. Every day will count if he wants to achieve his goal. He will have to average over 27 miles every day, no matter what the weather throws at him or how tired he might be.
However, none of that matters to Hugh, who aims to raise £5,000 for the charity Country Days, which helps give children, who would not ordinarily be given the chance to enjoy and learn from the beautiful Bedfordshire countryside.
The charity was founded by the late Ann Hadfield, a former school parent, who had a vision of giving children in the county the opportunity to explore the wonders of nature, reconnecting with the wild and discovering the world around them. This is particularly pertinent due to the negative impact that the pandemic has had on so many children, many of whom have been cooped up inside relying heavily on electronic gadgets and screens for simulation.
The money raised by Hugh will help enable Country Days to run more courses, build two further rain shelters, an additional landing stage and science hut for pond dipping, four more compostable toilets, and purchase additional tables and chairs, a portable microscope, more bug hunting materials and field nets for looking at meadow flora and fauna.
Hugh told us, “Through the challenge I hope to raise awareness of the amazing work that Country Days does to support the children of Bedfordshire. Often the work of small charities such as this goes unnoticed when up against some of the big profile charities. Ann’s son, OB Geoff Hadfield (71-82), who sadly passed away in 2011, was a very good friend and so it is an honour to have the opportunity to ride in his memory”
If you would like to support Hugh, you can make a donation at his JustGiving page or keep even join him en route and keep him company.