TOUR DE HALLAM DAY 4

June 5th 2025 - A few map-tacular errors but we got there in the end!

“Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.” Archbishop Desmond Tutu

Today felt like a real challenge but then this was the longest route with a few significant hills along the way. And, of course, it is nothing like the challenge that many people in need face each day.

It didn’t help, however, that after cycling 3 miles up a lovely quiet lane from Worksop towards Retford, I suddenly came across industrial fencing and a big sign saying ‘Construction Site No Entry, Footpath closed’. So after cycling back down the same lane for 3 miles, I started again towards Retford. Add to that the fact that at Kiveton Park, I mistakenly pressed the button ‘navigate to start of route’ thinking that it would help me rejoin the route, only to realise stupidly five minutes later when Bev rang in a slightly panicked voice saying, “you are going in the completely wrong direction” that it was directing me back to the Centre. Oh dear, I said!

The highlight today and the motivation has again been the people, as it should always be. If everyone was motivated by people or the kindness we can show each other, rather than wealth or ambition or self-preservation, then the world would, as we saw today, be a much happier and peaceful place. Every decision or plan that I make at St Wilfrid’s Centre will always be about the impact it can have on clients, recognising that they are the real people that matter the most. We have been overwhelmed today by the wonderful, kind people we have met and I do have to give a particular mention to the fantastic children from the schools who came out to cheer us on our way.

“Children are the living messages we send to a time we will not see.” – John F. Kennedy

As we made our way up Granville Road at the start of our journey, students from All Saints lined the pavement, shouting and cheering us on our way, which given how steep the road becomes really helped and gave us a real sense of the day to come with some amazing acts of kindness.

We were then met at Hackenthorpe, with children from St John Fisher, all smiling and encouraging us despite the rather wet weather. The children at St Joseph’s at Retford had waited such along time, due to the problems described above but were still waving the flags and excited by our arrival. Then at St Mary’s in Worksop not only were the children lined along the street shouting and cheering us but they had made a wonderful banner to inspire us on our way (see pictures).

Our most important task as a nation is to make sure all our young people can achieve their dreams. Barack Obama

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if when the children we saw today grew up there was no longer a need for places like St Wilfrid’s Centre. Whether that’s because we properly fund a public service that means charities don’t have to fill the large gaps that exist or whether the need reduces because we deal with the fundamental issues that cause poverty, isolation and inequality. Today gave me hope for that sort of society. There will be times when we all meet barriers and have to rethink our routes but one thing must be clear. If we give our children the values and compassion that they can demonstrate in the future that we will not see, embedding in them the empathy, joy and selflessness we witnessed in everyone we met today, then the future has to be one that we can all believe and invest in.

Tomorrow is our final day cycling around Sheffield. Please support us in anyway you can and thank you so much for everyone who has been there for us so far. Ruth