The Lychpit and Old Basing Guiders had a great plan to recruit lots of support for their 24 hr non-stop cycle challenge.  The big push on publicity was going to be at our Old Basing Village Carnival but the exceptional weather for this time of year has intervened!  The Old Basing Village Carnival has run for over 40 years without a break and is a big event for the local community groups to raise funds for the year ahead while having fun with the hundreds of people from this area.  It is unfortunate that the recent rain fall has left the ground so waterlogged that the carnival, scheduled for 16thJune 2012, had to be cancelled.

The Guiders have been left with a dilemma.  They have made a commitment to undertake the 24 hr non-stop cycle challenge but current sponsorship levels are way below target.  The funds that they raise will be used to help build the new Old Basing Baden-Powell Centre for Guides and Scouts.  But the event only has two weeks to raise a worthwhile level of support for their bold attempt.  They will start cycling on the 23rdJune and stop 24 hours later on 24thJune.  We need your help to raise awareness of their attempt and find more sponsors under these exceptional circumstances. 

Many of you may have hoped to “win” tickets to a sporting event at London 2012 to show your support for British athletes.  If like me you have been unsuccessful in that bid you can still show support for an Olympic challenge by these brave Guiders in our community.  Their event may be a little lower profile and lower budget than London 2012 but the prize will be hard won and benefit the local Scout and Guide groups directly.  If every sponsor could donate the cost of one ticket to an Olympic event we will show these Guiders how proud we are of their efforts.

Our aim is to raise enough money with this sponsored cycle ride, other fund raising events scheduled this year and some corporate sponsorship to build a meeting place to Passivhaus standards.  This is an ambitious project but our plans are already drawn and ready for the planning application.  We are aiming to build a facility that will be a benchmark in thermal efficiency and low energy use; a state of the art facility for young and old in our community to use.  This is a community energy project that will show our collective support for the fine work that is undertaken by the Scout and Guide movements.

The leaders and volunteers that run these groups show true Olympic spirit every week in their efforts to teach young people to have a passion for the countryside and all it has to offer.  It is not much to ask that we help them to build the facilities that they need to do this work. 

Please make a donation if you can at https://mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/guiders24hourcycle

I will post news of their achievement and how many miles they cycled shortly after they finish!

Thank you

Andy