A South Bucks Hospice reuse shop manager is swapping reuse treasures for two wheels as she prepares to take on the iconic London to Brighton cycle ride — all in aid of her hospice.
Penny Peacock, who manages the Aston Clinton and Wycombe reuse shops, will join thousands of riders on the 54-mile challenge on September 14 to raise vital funds for the hospice’s specialist care. But her ride comes with a twist: she’ll be pedalling a bicycle that has been refurbished by prisoners as part of a rehabilitation scheme.
The bike, restored to roadworthy condition at HMP Aylesbury, was donated to the reuse shop before being given a new lease of life by prisoners learning practical skills. Now, it will carry Penny from the capital to the coast.
Speaking about the challenge, Penny Peacock said:
“I see every day how donations to the hospice make a real difference to local patients and families, so I wanted to do something special to help. Riding a bike refurbished by prisoners shows how our community can change lives for those in our community who need support.”
The hospice’s reuse shop, which sell donated furniture, electrical goods, and household items, play a key role in funding the charity’s care services. Last year alone, the reuse shop raised thousands of pounds for the hospice.
Zoe Berkeley, Lead Palliative Care Nurse at South Bucks Hospice, praised Penny’s effort:
“We are proud of Penny for taking on this huge challenge. Not only is she raising vital funds for the hospice, but she’s also showcasing the power of recycling and rehabilitation. It’s an inspiring story of community working together.”
The London to Brighton ride attracts cyclists of all abilities each year, winding through the Surrey and Sussex countryside before finishing on Brighton’s seafront.
Penny is currently in training and hopes local supporters will get behind his fundraising effort. Donations can be made via her sponsorship page http://bit.ly/4fW2BXt.
The reuse shops are owned by Buckinghamshire Council and managed by FCC Environment & South Bucks Hospice.
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About South Bucks Hospice
South Bucks Hospice is a charity serving South Bucks based in High Wycombe. It receives less than 4% of its funding from statutory sources. The majority of the funding comes from the generosity of the community.
The hospice supports more than 600 patients each year living with life-limiting or life-threatening illnesses. It offers patient-centred care to individuals through the provision of specialist palliative, psychotherapeutic and lymphoedema care. It also supports families and their carers in many ways but particularly through counselling.
Formally established in 1986, South Bucks Hospice offers care designed to meet the societal changes we face as people live longer. As the only day hospice in South Buckinghamshire, it serves over 350,000 people.
About FCC Environment
FCC Environment is one of the UK’s leading recycling and waste management companies, providing a range of services, from collecting business and municipal waste to recycling and processing, and the generation of green energy from waste.
Its approach is to minimise the amount of waste that ends up in landfill by transforming it into valuable resources wherever possible, helping local authorities and businesses deal with their waste as efficiently as possible while meeting all statutory and regulatory requirements.
FCC employs more than 55,000 people worldwide and nearly 2,400 people across the UK to operate a wide range of waste management sites developed to meet the needs of its customers.
FCC recycles 1.6m tonnes of waste and generates more than 117MW of green energy each year.
Its five core services are:
• Business waste solutions
• Municipal services
• Recycling
• Green energy
• Waste processing
To find out more about FCC Environment please visit https://www.fccenvironment.co.uk/
