Youth Festive 50 (kms) Fundraising Page

To give our young riders a challenge between Christmas & New Year and raise much needed money to support less advantaged young riders, we are running a Youth Track Festive 50 on Wednesday 27th December when 30 young riders aged 8-16yrs will attempt to complete 50kms or 112 laps on the track in one go with only very limited stopping time to rest and refuel. 

Our brave riders are: Tora Kim Saito, Francis Morton, Emily Tanner, Adam Mitchell, James Billett, Benedict Parry, Izzy Evans, Kitty Belton-Owen, Emily Malthouse, Jacob Day, Ella Cardy, Max Meyer-Eland, Peggy Knox, George Haines, Barney Higgins, Tiger Gloag, Ayrton Alemao, Chris Campos, Sho Baty, Jacob Matthews, Jasper and Timo Shapton, Elspie and Billy Macpherson, Henry Hopson, Imogen Grist, Charles Bunting, Annabelle Rice, Ana Mason and Silas Hardy.

All riders will be raising money to support young people less fortunate themselves to ride at Herne Hill Velodrome. There are 17 state primary schools within a 1 mile radius of HHV, most of whom cannot afford to bring their pupils to learn to cycle or improve their skills. There are also numerous secondary schools within Lambeth/Southwark who would love to bring their students to cycle here but simply do not have the funding to do so. We are therefore calling on our youth riders to ride 50kms to raise money for our outreach program to enable local school children to share in our love of cycling here at HHV.  

It doesn’t take many donations/sponsors to make a big difference:-

£2 subsidises the cost of a session for a child from a less advantaged background

£5 supports a local child to come for a cycling session to learn to cycle or improve

£15 supports a child from a less advantaged background to come to holiday club 

£20 provides a coach to teach a group of children to learn to cycle

£60 enables a group of up to 15 school children to come for a track taster session 

£75 supports a child from a less advantaged background to come to holiday club for a week

£600 enables a group of up to 15 school children to come for a term of weekly cycling sessions

£1,800 enables a group of up to 15 school children to come for a whole year of term time weekly cycling sessions

Post event report from Tianne:-

Wow!  What an amazing morning and what an incredible achievement by all our young riders!

I am so proud of each and every one of the riders, their own efforts and struggles with tiredness and, in some cases, illness, their support for other riders and the enormous achievements of all. I have received so many comments about the way that so many of the riders who had finished jumped back on with the last rider to help him and finish as a group but also let him make his own final push for the line - I must admit it brought a tear to my eye!

With our first riders finishing around 90 minutes in, we saw average speeds well over 30kph, and our last riders finished more than 30 minutes before the cut off so incredible efforts all round!  

A HUGE well done and thank you to all who took part, all who helped, all who stood on the sidelines counting laps and everyone who donated.

Between you, you pedalled a staggering 3,248 laps of the main track or 1,450kms.  Your generous donations will go towards helping as many kids in the local area as possible have access to cycling with us. We are keen for you to see where exactly the money is going and the young riders we are supporting so we will be keeping you all updated with this information in the coming months.

You have already smashed our fundraising target but please do keep telling people about your heroic efforts and sending them here to see what you did.  Donations can continue to be made until the end of January.

Thank you again - you are all amazing!

Meet the riders...

Name:  Annabelle Rice

Age:  13

Meet the riders ...

Name:  Charles Bunting

Age:  12

Meet the riders ...

Name:  Ella Cardy

Age:  16

Why are you riding?:  'I am doing the festive 50, because I think it is really important that all young people should be able to have equal sporting opportunities. I think it is great that more people are able to enjoy the Herne Hill community.'

Meet the riders ...

Name:  Tiger Gloag

Age:  13

Meet the riders...

Name:  Izzy Evans

Age:  15

Why are you riding?:  'To help support HHV I would like to help raise money for people to come and enjoy the track as much as I do.'

Name:  Barney Higgins

Age:  12

Why are you riding?:  'It's an opportunity to help others whilst getting in some more training miles.'

Name:  Timo Shapton

Age:  10

Why are you riding?:  'I’ve been coming here since I was a few days old, watching my older brothers learn to ride and race. Now I race track league too and would like to help others have the same journey.'

Name: Jasper Shapton

Age:  12

Why are you riding?:  'My first ever experience of cycling was at Herne Hill Velodrome and it has given me my love for the sport. Most of my family and friends have ridden here and I believe everyone should get a chance too so I’m riding to try to make that happen.'

Meet the riders ...

Name:  Imogen Grist

Age:  13

Why are you riding?:  'I am doing the festive fifty because I think it is really important that all young people should be able to have equal sporting opportunities. I think it is great that more people are able to enjoy the Herne Hill community.'

Meet the riders...

Name:  Adam Mitchell

Age:  13

Why are you riding?:  'It’s amazing to have a facility like Herne Hill Velodrome in our community, so I want to help as many young people as possible get access to it.'

Meet the riders ... 

Name: Ayrton Alemao

Age: 13 (on Christmas Day!)

Why are you riding?:  'Because I love cycling!'

Meet the riders...

Name:  SIlas Hardy

Age:  16

Why are you riding?:  'I’m participating in Festive 50 as my last event as a youth rider. It means so much to me to do so, as my first youth event was also at Herne Hill, the place that gave me my love of cycling. I’ve benefited greatly from Herne Hill, both mentally and physically, and I love the idea of raising money, so that more people can experience the joys of Herne Hill. I also like the challenge of the event, being a sprinter, a 50km ride will certainly push me out of my comfort zone.'

Meet the riders...

Name:  Ana Mason

Age: 13

Why are you riding?:  'I’m looking forward to the Festive 50, and it feels great that doing something I love will help other people'

Meet the riders...

Name:  Chris Campos

Age: 13

Meet the riders...

Name: Jacob Day

Age:  11

Why are you riding?:  'Taking part in the Festive 50 is a no brainer: I get to raise money for other children so they can come and use the velodrome, learn to ride and have fun like I do, whilst doing what I love, with mates, at Christmas!  I hope we can raise enough to fund a whole year of cycling for a school and some more for children to come along to the holiday camps, because they are great fun!'

Meet the riders ...

Name:  Henry Hopson

Age: 13

Why are you riding?:  'I love cycling, I am a collaborator with empathy that likes helping others. I previously help my mum raise funds for Ukrainian Youth Cyclists.'

Meet the riders...

Name: Billy Macpherson

Age: 14

Why are you riding?:  'I think cycling is the most important and enjoyable part of my life, I think that having access to be able to take part in an activity like this is an opportunity that everyone should have.'

Meet the riders ...

Name: Elspie Macpherson

Age: 16

Why are you riding?:  'I’ve been cycling for the last 5 years and loved every second of it! Cycling is such an important part of my life and I feel strongly that other people should be able to access to the velodrome and get to experience the incredible opportunities and the freedom that comes from riding a bike.'

Meet the riders...

Name: Jacob Matthews

Age:  11

Why are you riding?:  'I love the velodrome, it's a great place to make friends, everyone is supportive and we get to have loads of fun riding bikes on the track and off road.'

Meet the riders...

Name:  Sho Baty

Age: 8

Meet the riders...

Name: George Haines

Age:  12

Why are you riding?:  'All my riding happens through HHV now, I'm there almost every day! When Dad was unwell everyone at HHV helped out, and now I help the younger riders at mountain bike sessions on Saturdays. HHV is where all my friends are and I think everyone should have the chance to do it. I can't wait to ride around the track 111.5 times for fun and to support HHV!'

Meet the riders...

Name: Peggy Knox

Age: 14

Why are you riding?:  'I would like to do the Festive 50 because I really love HHV and I want other people to have the opportunity to love it as well! I have been going there since before I could ride and I think it has helped shape me into the person I am today. I have made so many friends and had lots of new experiences at HHV. I have achieved things that I wouldn’t have if it wasn’t for the velodrome. I would love if other people were able to experience this as well. I also just love riding my bike and I know others will if they try it!'

Name:  Max Meyer-Eland

Age: 14

Why are you riding?:  'I am just getting into cycling and am looking forward to the challenge!'

Name: Emily (Milly) Malthouse

Age: 14

Why are you riding?:  'I want to do this because I believe every young person should be able to try cycling and if they love it why shouldn’t they be able continue?'

Meet the riders...

Name:  Kittty Belton-Owen

Age: 13

Why are you riding?:  'I’m a dancer, climber, skier and cyclist. I also love cooking and the occasional shopping!!! Im entering so I can smash my big brother, which shouldn’t be very hard anyway….'

Meet the riders...

Name:  Benedict Parry

Age: 11

Why are you riding?:  'I think that riding and track cycling are goods skills for everyone to have. It has taught me to communicate with others more effectively, increased my awareness and alertness to situations around me, and has made me fitter and it is a good way to step out of your comfort zone in a safe and supported environment.

I think that raising money to help people who otherwise can’t access the velodrome is a fantastic thing that we should do more of. A school going to the velodrome is a great way of children getting out of the classroom getting exercise and fresh air. It allows people who don’t interact with each other to make friends with a cross section of people.

All in all, riding at the velodrome is so much fun, and I would love the opportunity to undertake this challenge and raise money to allow others to have the experiences I have. Children should all have this opportunity to ride at the velodrome.'

Meet the riders...

Name:  James Billett

Age:  14

Why are you riding?:  'It’s amazing to have a facility like Herne Hill Velodrome in our community, so I want to help as many young people as possible get access to it.'

Meet the riders...

Name:  Emily Tanner

Age:  16

Why are you riding?:  'I am always up for a challenge and never give up no matter the weather. This will be a great opportunity for me to give something back to Herne Hill that can be invested in young riders who do not have the opportunities that I have been given.'

Meet the riders...

Name: Francis Morton

Age: 10

Why are you riding?:  'I want to support HHV to help other young cyclists enjoy the thrill of riding around the track and to get the bug for this brilliant sport.'

Meet the riders....

Name: Tora Kim Saito

Age: 11

Why are you riding?:  'I would like other people to enjoy track cycling like I do'