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If you want to vent or get in shape after the lockout, a local charity has the challenge for you.
Alice Charity, founded in Newcastle-Under-Lyme, works in the communities of Stoke-on-Trent and Newcastle for disadvantaged and vulnerable families.
Stoke-on-Trent is the sixteenth highest private domain in England of 326 districts. More than 30% of the resident population, around 75,000 more people, live in spaces ranked by the top 10% deprivation in England.
For her important work, Alice Charity invites others to participate in her ”Alice’ Tower’ to eliminate the cobwebs that are closing and raise the much-needed budget for the charity.
Like the Tour de France, the Tour de Alice will run from 29 August to 20 September and the number of trips is entirely up to you. You can challenge yourself on the 2156 miles, or just make one or two, a challenge for everyone.
The occasion is the largest organized through the charity, and CHIEF executive Steph Talbot urges all cyclists to participate, from the comfort of their home or on the roads.
Lyme Racing Club in Newcastle has already registered, but Alice Charity hopes to attract cyclists from all over the UK.
Steph said: “The Tour is the ultimate cycling challenge and we give everyone the opportunity to participate, no matter how you drive.
“We are for participants, whether mom or dad with their children, club bikers competing for a competition or Olympic athletes like Sir Chris Hoy or Laura Kenny.
“It’s simple to worry about and it doesn’t matter if you have an indoor fitness motorcycle, a motorcycle with a basket for points of sale or a serious racer, we love you,” Steph added.
“It’s also a wonderful opportunity to pop the cobwebs and re-enter after blocking.
“We want them to help young people living in poverty in Stoke-on-Trent and Newcastle-under-Lyme.”
To participate, you can visit the Alice Tour website, where you can download Strava or MapMyRide apps, which give you the opportunity to sign up as a team and challenge yourself in front of others.
Steph continued: “We know that there are many passionate cyclists of the club and we ask them to register; there is a leaderboard for those who have a competitive advantage. Friends can also compete on our “find a friend” tab.
Alice Charity is just one of many charities in the UK that have struggled to raise a major budget for the coronavirus pandemic.
Emily Petts, the charity’s Director of Family Support, said: “Most charities have faced demanding Covid-19 situations and Alice is no exception.
“We had to cancel money collections and face-to-face events, like our popular It’s A Knockout contest, while watching an increase in demand for our services.
“The pandemic has hit vulnerable families harder and led to a greater need for facilities such as the People’s Pantry food bank in Newcastle, emotional and practical assistance for must-have items at home.
“The closure of schools for the maximum of young people has put more pressure on families who rely on the economic and social resources they provide with social remoteness and confinement, making low-income families more difficult.”
If you want to worry about the Tour of Alice, you can the online page to register.