Help for Heroes has launched a new cycling fundraising event aiming to raise £1m, and taken on star cyclist Mark Cavendish as its patron, as the charity seeks to capitalise on growing interest in biking.

The charity already has a strong association with cycling, being founded with a fundraising bike ride in 2007. It has now launched the annual Hero Ride, which will take place in June of this year. Cavendish will be championing the day as his first assignment as charity patron.

Interest in cycling in the UK has grown with the success of the London 2012 Games. Last month online fundraising site JustGiving, reported that fundraising cycling events had doubled from 5,289 cycling events registered on its site in 2011 to 13,338 in 2012. Nightrider, a firm which organises international charity bike rides, has seen a 66 per cent rise in participants last year from 1,000 in 2011 to 3,000 in 2012. While, cycling fundraiser RideLondon, a Mayor of London initiative which starts this year, has been oversubscribed with applicants.

Help for Heroes' new Hero Ride will involved 2,000 cyclists and has a fundraising target of £1m.

Commenting on his new role as patron at Help for Heroes, Cavendish said: “I have seen first-hand the great work that Help for Heroes do and I’m a passionate supporter of the charity. Hero Ride is a very special project to me because it engages the sport I love for a greater cause.”

Cavendish first became involved with Help for Heroes in 2010, when he attended a Help for Heroes event in California, here Mark met Peta Tood, his fiancée and fellow Help for Heroes patron, who was the welcoming party for the injured war veterans who had just completed a trans-America charity bike ride.

Cavendish has continued his support of the charity by visiting Headley Court and the Help for Heroes run Recovery Centres.

 

 

This year will also see the inaugural RideLondon-Surrey 100, which will take place in August. More than 50,000 cyclists applied for the 20,000 places available. 

Hugh Brasher, from London and Surrey Cycling Partnership, said; “We are ecstatic with the response we have had for the first year of this iconic event. RideLondon-Surrey 100 is destined to do for cycling what the London Marathon did for running in the 80’s and take it to a new level.”

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