Preston's Salvation Army foodbank welcomes £4k boost from four-day bike ride from London to Brussels

A Preston duo have raised more than £4,000 for the city’s Salvation Army foodbank.
Co-op Funeralcare colleague Rachelle Callaghan with her friend Rebecca Hewitson during their four-day cycling challengeCo-op Funeralcare colleague Rachelle Callaghan with her friend Rebecca Hewitson during their four-day cycling challenge
Co-op Funeralcare colleague Rachelle Callaghan with her friend Rebecca Hewitson during their four-day cycling challenge

Co-op Funeralcare colleague Rachelle Callaghan and friend Rebecca Hewitson tackled a four-day, 290-mile sponsored bike ride to Brussels, Belgium.

Rachelle and Rebecca, who were part of a team of 20 fundraisers, started their ride in London and cycled up to Harwich in Essex where they caught the ferry to Holland.

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The duo then went on to cycle through Amsterdam and Breda before arriving in Brussels four days later.

Co-op Funeralcare colleague Rachelle Callaghan with her friend Rebecca Hewitson during their four-day cycling challengeCo-op Funeralcare colleague Rachelle Callaghan with her friend Rebecca Hewitson during their four-day cycling challenge
Co-op Funeralcare colleague Rachelle Callaghan with her friend Rebecca Hewitson during their four-day cycling challenge

Rachelle Callaghan, Co-op funeral arranger, said: “We joined 18 others to raise money for various charities close to our hearts.

"Rebecca and I chose Preston’s Salvation Army as it’s an amazing charity that provides much needed support, information and assistance for people who need it.

“It was a long, and very tough four days for both of us. Cycling is not a hobby of mine, nor do I particularly enjoy the activity so it was always going to be a challenge, but when I tore a ligament in my foot on day two, it was only going to get harder.

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“We’re both so overwhelmed by the amount of money we’ve been able to raise so far and it’s definitely proved to have been worth the pain we both endured.

"As a group of 20, so far we’ve raised over £40,000 for various charities across the country.”

Jane Ross, regional manager at Co-op Funeralcare, said: “We’re all so proud of our colleague Rachelle and her friend Rebecca.

"At Co-op Funeralcare, we’re always looking for new ways to support charities that have an impact on our local communities and it’s amazing that they’ve been able to raise such a large amount of money for the Salvation Army.”

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Natalie Thomas at the Salvation Army foodbank said: “We are absolutely over the moon with what Rachelle and Rebecca have managed to raise with the bike ride.

“It’s absolutely amazing. It’s going to help so much.

“We are in a good place at the moment. We’re getting all the harvest coming in from schools and churches.

“The demand is still just as high but donations are coming in and we’re in a much better place than where we were in June.

“Hopefully what we have will take us up to Christmas when the Christmas donations start coming in.

"We are also taking toys for presents now.”

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