Friends give John’s charity cycling efforts a grandstand finish

The fundraising efforts of a member of staff at Morrison Design have been given an unexpected boost by his friends.

Earlier this month, as part of his efforts to raise money for the Alzheimer’s Society, John Robson, a senior architectural technician at the Derby firm, cycled his 15-mile Ashbourne to Derby commute on a vintage Mk3 Raleigh Chopper, which he had restored himself.

He did so as part of the 2,024 Mile Challenge, in which he aims to ride, walk or run 2,024 miles during 2024.

After completing the ride, in order to raise further cash for the charity, John decided to auction the Chopper on Ebay.

However, unbeknown to John, three of his schoolfriends successfully bid for the bike and gifted it back to him.

John said: “I’m overwhelmed that my friends decided to buy the Raleigh Chopper for me.

“It’s an incredible act of generosity for which I’m so grateful. We’ve known each other since school, and they’ve been by my side through losing my parents to dementia in recent years.

“They knew how much work I’d put into the bike, and I couldn’t be more thankful to them for it. Don’t expect another commute on it anytime soon though!”

The Raleigh Chopper made £300 for Alzheimer’s Society. This has been added to John’s fundraising pot which now stands at £1,006 – just ahead of his £1,000 target.

John still has a few months of cycling ahead to complete his 2,024-mile challenge.

To back him, visit https://www.justgiving.com/page/morrison-design-as .