The funds were directed towards supporting The Sheffield Children’s Hospital, an organisation that holds a special place in one of the cyclist’s hearts – Wayne Hirst, Distribution Engineer for High Voltage Stocksbridge – due to their care for his daughter Nancy.

Wayne Hirst shared a heartfelt and poignant story about his daughter Nancy, who had been cared for at The Sheffield Children’s Hospital. The hospital’s support was invaluable during difficult times, particularly when Nancy fell ill and required medical attention:

“Nancy was born on 25th January 2020 at Jessops Hospital and after 9 days was sent home. Everything was going well for about a week then suddenly Nancy had a fit and stopped breathing, my wife called 999 and I resuscitated Nancy. We spent a week in the Children’s Hospital, and they thought it was down to reflux so sent us home. Everything was ok again for a week but then all of a sudden Nancy had another fit and stopped breathing, again I resuscitated her, and she was rushed into Hospital. We spent another week in Hospital and again nothing other than reflux could be diagnosed, so we were sent home.

Again, everything was ok for a week but then Nancy had another episode except this time once I had resuscitated her, she would have another episode, the ambulance came and rushed her to the hospital and this time we remained there for roughly four months with Nancy on a ventilator. This time they ran numerous tests and found out that she had a mitochondria disease, unfortunately nothing can be done to cure this. We all decided that we wanted to take Nancy home and unfortunately 3 weeks later she passed away in our arms. The Children’s Hospital were really good to both Nancy, myself, and my wife, especially with this happening during Covid, they allowed us to stay with her”.

Lee Shepherd, a team member of the LIBERTY Speciality Steels, in his turn said:

“Myself along with family and friends have organized various community events to help raise awareness and funds, quiz nights, charity football matches, live music events, Halloween, and Christmas events, all funds have gone towards improving mental health facilities in our area. This year, we took on the challenge of cycling coast to coast on the Trans Pennine Trail, with a mission to raise awareness and funds for Sheffield’s Children’s Hospital”.

The team, comprising Lee Shepherd, Rich & Wayne Hirst, Jay Crossland, Devan Slater, and Rob Hardwood, embarked on a physically and mentally demanding journey spanning over 210 miles.

The coast-to-coast bike ride was no easy feat. The team had to face challenging weather conditions with heavy rain and persistent headwinds. Despite the hardships, the cyclists remained undeterred and pushed through, as their training and preparation paid off. The ride was a test of their physical endurance and mental resilience, but they were motivated by their cause, knowing that every mile pedalled would make a difference in the lives of children at The Sheffield Children’s Hospital.

The team expressed their heartfelt gratitude to everyone who supported their fundraising efforts. Generous donations and sponsorships poured in from friends, family, colleagues, and well-wishers who recognised the importance of supporting the Children’s Hospital. The team’s commitment and dedication were echoed by the community, who rallied around them and cheered them on throughout their challenging journey.