Teachers cycling 1,519 miles from their garden to support Pendleside Hospice during COVID-19 lockdown

Two teachers taking time out from school during the coronavirus lockdown have taken the opportunity to raise money for Pendleside Hospice by cycling 1,519 miles - without leaving their garden.
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Sally Tidswell, a science teacher at Sir John Thursby School in Burnley, and her partner Ella Redhead, the assistant headteacher at Lord Street Primary School in Colne, chose the figure to represent the 1,500 people the hospice cared for last year and 19 to mark the COVID-19 pandemic.

Having set up exerice bikes in the front garden of their home in Colne Road, Brierfield, the teachers have been inundated with support from passing members of the public, on foot and in cars.

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Sally (37) said: "Ella and I had a bit more time on our hands due to the lockdown and so decided to put it to good use by combining our daily exercise with raising money for the hospice.

Ella (left) with Sally, daughter Emma and Yonki the dogElla (left) with Sally, daughter Emma and Yonki the dog
Ella (left) with Sally, daughter Emma and Yonki the dog

"Obviously we couldn't cycle out of the house 1,519 miles so we decided to do it on exercise bikes set up on a table trainer. We thought the distance was quite poignant considering all the many families the hospice helped last year and the CODI-19 pandemic.

"The response from the public has been brilliant - we set up donations buckets in the garden and complete strangers have beenn depositing lots of cash in them. We have had a lot of pips from passing cars supporting us too."

The couple initially planned a fund-raising target of £1 for every mile but have already smashed that and so far raised in the region of £1,800.

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Both of them have been back in work intermittently and are cycling in shifts when they can and have now just gone over 500 miles cycled.

Keep cycling!Keep cycling!
Keep cycling!

Sally added: "I think the total raised so far just goes to show how important the hospice is to local people and how generous they are too. The support has been unbelievable."

You can also sponsor the ladies here https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/ella-redhead