BikePark Wales, the UK’s largest purpose-built bike park based in Merthyr Tydfil, has announced its pledge to raise at least £10,000 towards the Bigmoose Project 1 Million.
Throughout 2022, Project 1 Million has brought individuals and organisations together with a clear goal to raise £1,000,000 to go towards helping people in England and Wales with mental health, preventing suicide and reducing homelessness. The project has so far raised over £178,155 from more than 4,750 supporters.
Jeff Smith co-founder of Bigmoose Charity said: “There’s no getting away from the scale of the UKs current mental health crisis. When we discovered that 5,224 people killed themselves in England and Wales in 2020, we felt compelled to do something. So, we thought about how Bigmoose could help save lives and make the world a better place. The result was Project 1 Million, which was founded as a mission to make mental health therapy and intervention way more accessible for anyone struggling.
Jeff added: “We’ve still got a really long way to go to reach our target but have been blown away by the generosity of everyone so far. We want to say a massive thanks to those people who have supported with the cause, and to businesses like BikePark Wales who have pledged their commitment too.”
As part of its involvement in Project 1 Million, all of the money raised by BikePark during September will go directly towards providing therapy and early intervention for people in Merthyr Tydfil, as well as providing training for businesses to better support their teams.
Throughout September, the BikePark Wales fundraiser will be divided into two areas. From September 1st-30th all BikePark Wales customers are invited to take part in the ‘Donate a lap’ challenge. Every time riders check in at the park they will get the chance to donate money to receive a donation band and be entered into a special raffle at the end.
Prizes up for grabs include uplift passes, coaching session and free equipment from park sponsors GoPro, Trek Bikes, Fox Racing, Topeak, Shimano, MBUK, WTB, Muc Off and ODI.
The main ‘Pound-per-meter challenge’ will then take place on Friday 30th September, where a designated team of riders will take on a gruelling endurance challenge. The challenge will see them attempt to climb over 10,000 metres, meaning they’ll be climbing higher than Everest in just one day.
Martin Astley, founder, and CEO at BikePark Wales, said: “We’re very passionate about giving back to the people of Merthyr Tydfil. After all, the local community has been so instrumental in helping the park become what it is today after the site was first created almost ten years ago.
“We want to encourage as many of our customers as possible to get involved with the September fundraisers where they can have plenty of fun for an amazing cause.”
Martin continued: “We also strongly believe that the total freedom of mountain biking and connection it gives you with the outdoors, is a really powerful tool for improving mental health. It’s a sport that allows you to completely switch off and escape.”
To get involved in BikePark Wales’ fundraiser for Project 1 Million, visit: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/bikeparkwales-project1million.
