Dewsbury cyclist embarks on 300-mile solo-challenge to raise funds for The Kirkwood

Jamie Simpson, 36, started the challenge on holiday in Edinburgh over the weekend and will be completing the remaining miles around his hometown and north Kirklees, primarily on the Spen Valley Greenway.

He is aiming to raise £1,000 for The Kirkwood after the hospice, based on Albany Road in Dalton, Huddersfield, provided care for his partner’s late father, Paul Wild, who passed away earlier this year.

Jamie said: “My girlfriend’s dad was diagnosed with terminal cancer and he died in the Kirkwood in April. His last wish before he passed was for everybody to do what they can to raise money for them.

“My girlfriend and her friends did a 12-hour gym workout and raised over £2,000. I then said I’ll come up with something that I can do to raise money in his memory. I had just bought a bike but I don’t ride very often, so I just thought I’d challenge myself to do it and try and get a lot of miles done and raise some money in his memory.”

And Jamie, who has also raised money for the Kirkwood in the past after completing a 25-mile walk from and to his supportive local pub, the Shepherds Boy, following the deaths of a friend and his Dad’s best friend, has issued a heartfelt ‘thank you’ to those who have already sponsored him for his latest challenge.

“It might not seem like much of a challenge to some people but I’ve got a very active job,” explained Jamie, who distributes mechanical air suspension parts for HGV’s. “It is very heavy lifting and I do, on average, between 20,000 and 25,000 steps every day, carrying stuff, working from 8am to half past 5.

“I’ll get home and then hit the bike challenge.

“I want to say a massive thank you to everybody who has already thrown a penny or a pound in. Every little does help and every penny adds up. The Shepherds Boy has got a sponsor sheet in there and some collection tins and they’re trying to get people in the pub to sponsor me as well.”

He added: “Normally, I do my good deeds quite quietly. I don’t make a song or dance about it. But if this encourages somebody else to do something and if somebody reads it and thinks, “that’s really inspirational, I might do my part,” then that’s great, even if it is for a different charity.

“And, as Paul would say, “rest when you are done.””

If you would like to donate to Jamie’s challenge, please visit https://www.justgiving.com/page/jamie-simpson-1684355613487