Taking part in a long-distance cycle race is about so much more than just challenging yourself to improve your fitness and achieve incredible things. It’s also an ideal opportunity to raise money for charity

Charities need our help more than ever before. Funding cuts from austerity mean that organisations are operating on tight margins. If they want to continue championing their causes, they need people like you to step up and pledge to do something incredible.

Cycling 55 miles from Central London to the Brighton seafront is an incredible challenge that will test your fitness and your endurance. Far from being a downhill breeze, it will challenge your legs and your lungs as you climb steady inclines.

This is one reason that it’s such a great charity fundraiser. When people learn that you’re cycling this distance, they will quickly applaud your efforts. Everyone knows that this is a significant distance to cycle on a bike. So they’ll be more than willing to dip into their pockets to donate to a good cause.

On average, every cyclist will raise around £600 for their chosen charity. So a team of 10 cyclists could raise around £6,000. Once there are 100 cyclists hitting the road for their chosen cause, that charity could receive £60,000. And funds aren’t the only way that taking part in a long-distance charity bike ride can help.

Raising awareness

Raising awareness

One of the simplest things you can do when raising money for charity is to simply talk to others about your chosen charity and let them know about the incredible work you are supporting. This kind of grassroots organising is essential for charities to grow their profile and get people talking about their work. 

You might convince someone else to sign up and join the challenge. Or you might convince them to make regular contributions to the charity. Or you might even inspire them to leave a donation in their will. Charities rely on people like you spreading the word, and signing up for a long distance ride is a great way to achieve this.

Increasing visibility

The London to Brighton Cycle Ride takes place in one of the busiest cities in the world. It’s also well publicised and very visible on social media. That’s a lot of potential eyeballs that could see your charity of choice. This could help to inspire action, or simply raise awareness of the charity.

This kind of free advertising is hard to come by, so it’s vital that charities have vocal supporters who are willing to throw their support behind the cause. By being active and talking about the cause with those in your social and professional circles, you can encourage people to connect with the cause on a deeper level. 

Inspire others to make a change

Inspire others to make a change

Some people think that fundraising is beyond them and would be afraid to put themselves out there to try something new. By being a vocal supporter of a charity, you can encourage others around you to support the cause in their own way.

People are often inspired to take part in charity events once they see their friends and family members triumphantly reaching their goals. So, while those people might not take part this year, they might be some of the first people to pledge their commitment for the following year, and they’ll also be inspired to throw their weight into fundraising.

Final thoughts on how your ride helps your chosen charity

It’s not just about the money that you raise. It’s also about the conversations that you have with friends, family, colleagues and strangers about the cause you are supporting. By leveraging your network, you can increase visibility for you charity of choice, and help them with their fundraising efforts.