Tony Richards, Prudhoe Mill Manager of SCA Hygiene Products UK LTD, displays the cheque for £1,017, proceeds of the Velvet Junior Bike Race, which goes to boost funds for the PICU Penguin appeal. Next to Tony are Alistair Baker, Communications and PR manager of Northumbrian Water, sponsors of the Tour of the Reservoir, Mike Hodgson, chairman of TVCC and race organiser, and Martha’s mum Gillian. Oh yes, of course, Martha’s the one on the bike!

2008 saw the first running of the Velvet Junior Bike Race, on the same day and at at the venue as the Tour of the Reservoir. The race is sponsored by SCA Hygiene Products UK Ltd (Prudhoe Mill), makers of the Velvet toilet tissue brand. SCA, and TVCC of course, are keen to repeat this event over forthcoming years so watch this space for future developments. This year the proceeds of the race, amounting to over £1,000, went entirely to the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) Penguin appeal for the Freeman Hospital at Newcastle-upon-Tyne where little Martha Anderson has received her life-saving treatment for serious heart problems over the last 2 years.

Martha lives in Edmundbyers village, the HQ of the Tour of the Reservoir, and won the hearts of all who met her due to her wonderful personality and cheerful disposition, despite the extremely difficult years of her short life. Keep checking the website for photos of the kids, and parents too, having a wonderful time!

Some of the kids race to stay ahead of the awesome Rapha-Condor Recycling.co.uk team

Tuesday 29 April 2008

Junior Bike Race raises over £1000 for Martha

Plucky two-year-old Martha Anderson and her twin sister Matilda are celebrating after local youngsters helped to raise over £1000 for charity by taking part in the SCA Velvet Junior Bike Race 2008 at Derwent Reservoir.

The PICU the Penguin Fund at Newcastle Freeman Hospital was set up after Martha, whose family live in Edmundbyers, received life-saving treatment on an artificial heart machine before a successful heart transplant in March 2007.

The money raised has swollen the fund to over £18,000 with the target to raise £50,000 to buy another ‘Berlin’ artificial heart machine for the Freeman’s Paediatric Intensive Care Unit.

On the day, over 50 youngsters between 3 and 16 years old, from across Tynedale braved the cold and windy conditions to pedal one kilometre along the Derwent Reservoir Dam Wall in a sponsored time trial to boost the Penguin Fund appeal.

The race was hosted by SCA Hygiene Products in Prudhoe, makers of the popular Velvet brand of family toilet tissue in partnership with The Tyne Valley Cycle Club (TVCC) and Northumbrian Water.

Martha’s mum, Jill Anderson expressed her delight at the cash boost for the PICU Fund, she said: “When I heard that SCA, Northumbrian Water and the local cycling club wanted to join forces to fundraise for Martha’s charity I was blown away.

“Word can’t express the family’s gratitude to everyone involved for their generosity and kindness. The whole family got together to watch the race. Martha and her twin sister Matilda had a fantastic time clapping and waving at all the cyclists.”

Youngsters taking part in the Velvet Junior Bike Race also got the opportunity to see over 150 professional riders in action as they competed in the annual Northumbrian Water Tour of the Derwent Cycle Race, which took place alongside the junior event.

The top-level road race is a premier fixture in the British Cycling Club calendar and attracts the best athletes and Olympic hopefuls from across the UK.

There were no winners or losers on the day and every entrant in the junior event got a goodie bag which included a soft toy, a yellow race jersey, water bottle and a medal, all donated by SCA Hygiene at Prudhoe on behalf of the company’s Velvet tissue brand and Northumbrian Water.

Tony Richards, manager of SCA Prudhoe Mill, said: “Martha is a remarkable little girl and we were highly delighted at the number of youngsters and spectators that braved the weather conditions to support the race. It’s the first time we’ve hosted an event like this and we are keen to do it again next year.

“As major employers in the area, we are keen to contribute to the local community and by hosting the Velvet Junior Bike Race it’s a great opportunity to give families the occasion to have some fun together and raise money for a very worthy cause.”

To find out more about the PICU the Penguin Fund or to make a donation go to www.picuthepenguin.co.uk .

To find out more about amateur and professional cycling in Tynedale, visit the Tyne Valley Cycling Club at: www.tynevalleycycling.co.uk or contact Mike Hodgson, TVCC chair, Tel: 07843312584

ENDS

Media contact:

Amy Davison at Bradley O’Mahoney Public Relations, 56 Jesmond Road West, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4PQ.

Tel: 0191 281 8833 Email: amydavison@bradleyomahoney.co.uk

Picture Caption:

Martha and Matilda with Kristian House, second in this year’s race, on the dam wall