PILGRIMS CYCLE RIDE 1385Km AL AIN UAE-MIRBAT OMAN

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Pilgrims Cycling is a modest team of ex-soldiers based in Dubai who regularly cycle together. The team comprises seven personnel totalling 150 years of military service.

The GoFundMeChallenge in aid of SOMM – Save Our Memorial Monument.

During late November and early December 2022, we will be undertaking the Herculean task of cycling 1385 kilometres over several mountain passes, covering 26,000 feet in elevation from the UAE to Oman.

The Charity

The proposed memorial is in honour of 70 service personnel from the East side of Swansea who lost their lives during the Battle for the Somme and other battlefields.

One of the fallen received the VC. Another lost his life while bravely saving a comrade, with many other moving stories of these brave men, some as young as 15. Although there is a current memorial at the redundant church, All Saints, Kilvey, Swansea, it is now damaged beyond repair.

SOMM comprises of volunteer community members supported by other large established community groups. They have been holding awareness-raising events, including Remembrance events in conjunction with Forces groups and personnel, schoolchildren and the wider community; Poetry and art workshops for local schoolchildren; creating a Poppy Trail of the houses where the men lived by donating Poppy wall plaques; Researching the military and personal lives of the men and producing a book to raise funds for the cause; exhibitions; installing an interim memorial bench at a local park; Quiz nights, raffles and much more.

The fundraising has been ongoing for around six years, aiming to replace the original WWI memorial which was severely damaged after vandalism. So far, they have raised almost £11,000 but will need an additional £10,000 to fund the proposed replacement.

While we realise times are difficult, we ask you to please consider helping us, if only by sharing on social media, as your donations are essential to helping us reach our target to remember these men who gave their lives for us.

PLEASE NOTE: Since we are now getting so close to our original target, thanks to the immense kindness and generosity of those who have made donations, we have decided to raise the target to £20000. Anything raised over £10000 will be donated to a worthy Mental Health Charity chosen by the Pilgrims Cyclists.

Furthermore, as the ride coincides with the 50th anniversary of the BATTLE OF MIRBAT, the mammoth ride will finish at the battle site for us to pay our respects to the fallen.

PLEASE HELP US PROVIDE A FITTING MEMORIAL FOR THESE BRAVE MEN.