AFTER enduring a gruelling 200-mile cycle ride to France, three Frome Firefighters and a member of Lisa’s Army have safely returned, raising over £3,000 for Lisa’s Army and the Fire Fighter Charity.
Lisa’s father, Tim Wells, along with Tom Edwards, Steve George, and Ben George from Frome Fire Station, set off on Sunday 28th April and rode around 60 to 70 miles per day to Chateau Gontier in France, where they were welcomed by the local fire brigade and old friends.
Nick, one of the drivers of the minibus transporting the riders’ supplies said, “As we left Frome Fire Station for Château-Gontier, I was wondering if we get there without any incidents or accidents, I’m going to be absolutely amazed! Who or what was going to be the first catastrophe of the trip? Tim was in absolute agony with a bad shoulder and looked like he would probably just make it to Longleat; Ben George was in absolute agony, has had gout for the last year and would probably make it to Portsmouth; and Steve George hasn’t trained, riding on adrenaline, determination and sheer stubbornness and thinking of Lisa, Mo and Jacky Lamoureux and others and, will probably make it to Wylye!
“To be met in France by our friends, Jacky and Claudine, Gilles, Gillian, Jean-Louis and Dennis for a fantastic picnic and to arrive in Château-Gontier with no punctures, no accidents, no injuries, no getting off and walking up any hills – I am amazed that they made it, proud of them and that I was part of this never-to-be-forgotten trip. I did have a little tear for Lisa when Tim was giving his emotional interview, but that was my fault for being nosey. These were my only tears of sadness. The rest of the trip, we laughed nearly every minute, hardly any swearing and Tom must have thought what the hell had he let himself in for!
“So, thank you guys, for the best weekend for a long time which seemed a lot longer and wanted it to go on for at least a day or two more.”
Tim said, “It was an honour and pleasure to ride with the group to Château-Gontier over the weekend. To Jacky and Claudine, Gilles and Gillian, who put us up for the night and all the firefighters of Château-Gontier who put a reception on and donated a total of €290 for Lisa’s army, a huge thank you.
“Also, I would like to thank Steve Hibbard for riding to Portsmouth with us to give us motivation, to Nick and Ross for driving the support van keeping the spirits up and dishing the flapjacks and sausage rolls out.
“For Tom Edwards, the pacemaker and singer in France; for Steve George for organising the ferry and accommodation and whose idea it was in the first place and pushed us all into believing we could do it; and to Ben who organised and looked after all of us while we were away, from making and fitting a bike rack, to sorting the route, adjusting saddles, providing gel for sore muscles and generally keeping it all together.
“All in all, we had a brilliant journey, made over £3,000 for our charity and made some new friends. You can’t help your thoughts, but I think we had some heavenly help with the weather which undoubtedly made it possible.”
Lisa’s Army was set up by Lisa Wells when she was going through treatment for bowel cancer, to raise money for her children’s future. When she died in 2019, Lisa’s family continued with the charity work, to fulfil the vision of helping terminally ill cancer patients to create ever-lasting memories.
In April 2020, Lisa’s Army became a registered charity and now offers a range of different experiences for those with cancer including beauty treatments and pamper packages; photo shoots and capturing memories; Red letter excursions and bespoke individual interest events.
Local people have been donating towards Lisa’s Army and the Firefighter charities, when the team recently held a coffee and cake event at the Royal Oak pub, where they raised £300, and had a stall at April’s Frome Independent.
Local businesses in Frome sponsored the charity cycle and include Asda, Pronto Bikes, K&S Commercial Components, Premier Installations and Scania.
For more information about Lisa’s Army visit, https://www.lisasarmy.co.uk/ and for more information about the Fire Fighters Charity visit, https://www. firefighterscharity.org.uk/
