4 July 2017 -
It’s all ride now as Le Tour de Waltham Forest raises record amount for local charity
A record number of riders entered Le Tour de Waltham Forest on Saturday 24 June raising over £2,000 for the Haven House Children’s Hospice.
Over 800 keen cyclists put their foot to pedal to tackle one of four courses open on the day, ranging from a gentle bronze route for beginners all the way up to the challenging platinum route for expert riders.
Those with artistic streak had the opportunity to customise to their rides and be in with chance of winning £100 in high street shopping vouchers. Entrants were judged on creativity, inventiveness and individuality - after seeing off some tough competition the winner was Vicky te Velde.
Earlier in June a Mini Tour de Waltham Forest aimed toward borough school children saw 168 pupils from 14 borough schools tackle a less challenging course to boost their confidence on bikes and teach them how much fun it is to ride to and from school. The event was held in tandem with British Cycling to get children into cycling as a sport.
Cllr Clyde Loakes, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for the Environment at Waltham Forest Borough Council, said:
“Le Tour de Waltham Forest goes from strength to strength. Each year we get more and more people jumping on their bikes and joining in - I’m proud they raised over £2000 to support the good work of the Haven House Children’s Hospice. It was a wheel-y good effort from everyone who took part. "
“Encouraging people to have fun and use their bikes wherever possible, and teaching our children about the benefits of cycling, will mean that we can help tackle carbon emissions in our city and ensure that residents are breathing cleaner air. Cycling makes people healthier and happier, and we will do all we can to make riding a bike as easy and enjoyable as possible in Waltham Forest.”
The event took place as part of the first ever Waltham Forest Summer Fest, which took place in Leyton Jubilee Park and involved a range of activities for the whole family to enjoy. These included target golf, bean bag toss competitions and a Kids Zone where younger attendees could take part in creative activities and sports taster sessions. Bigger kids weren’t left out of the fun, however – the Meet the Brewers stall offered thirsty parents the chance to meet the makers of some of Waltham Forest's finest local beers, ales and ciders - and more importantly taste their products!
