School's namesake inspires charity cycle ride (From Watford Observer)
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School's namesake inspires charity cycle ride
1:40pm Thursday 13th September 2012 in News
By Adam Binnie, Senior Reporter
Staff and parents from St Joan of Arc School in Rickmansworth will take part in a 200-mile bike ride to the historic death-place of the school’s namesake.
The team features headteacher Peter Sweeney, chaplain Liam Lynch, the caretaker, teachers and parents, who will all ride to Rouen, in northern France, and back. Rouen was chosen as it is where the Maid of Orleans was executed in 1431.
The ride takes place from October 11 to 14, and the school is hoping to raise £5,000 for charity, which will make it the biggest stand-alone fundraising event in the school’s history.
The charity is a centre for children in Calcutta called Udayan, which works mainly with the children of leprosy sufferers.
Mr Lynch said: “When the team signed up, all members were novice cyclists, merely commuting to work and back. Some didn’t even have a bike.”
He said the distance of more than 200 miles to Rouen was being split into stages of around 70, 35, 35 and 70 miles. “Training for these distances has already taken its toll with several members already being forced to retire on medical grounds,” he said.
