TOUR DE HALLAM 2025

DAY ONE Monday 2nd June 2025

‘In the company of bees, every effort counts toward a shared goal.’

June 2nd might, until today, be remembered as the day in 1953 which marked the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth. It could also be remembered as the day in 1989 (can you believe that’s 36 years ago!) when 100,000 citizens in Tiananmen Square, Beijing, blocked 10,000 Chinese soldiers as they demonstrated for democracy.

From now on June 2nd will most certainly be remembered (at least by everyone at St Wilfrid’s Centre and the three people who had to dress as Bumble Bees in public) as the start of St Wilfrid’s Centre Tour de Hallam.

At the Centre, clients, staff and volunteers managed to achieve the 43 miles on the exercise bikes by early afternoon. What they didn’t know was how many steep hills they should have accounted for - and the fact that it actually took 47 miles to complete the same route. This had something to do with a few wrong turns but at least by asking someone for directions, we got another donation!

We had some amazing welcomes at all the churches, including tea and lemon drizzle cake at one, which we should have declined given the schedule but it would have been so rude to do so! (Apologies though to the churches that followed this as our delay from cake-eating, a few road closures, the chain coming off the bike and sheep blocking the road did make us a little behind schedule.)

“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.” Albert Einstein

So - moving we are going to do. The Centre has evolved and changed over the past 34 years in order to respond to need. We also have to respond to challenging times and increasing costs which is why we are so very grateful for the amazing support and generous donations in response to our Tour de Hallam.

Tomorrow we will be heading to Rotherham and Doncaster on the longest of our rides. You can’t miss us. I am aiming to provide an update each day so keep checking the website. By the end of the week it might consist of fewer words and be accompanied by a glass of wine (for medicinal purposes you will understand!). Thank you. Ruth