A charity bike ride through North Yorkshire saw military veterans pour on the pedal power for Blesma, the charity for limbless veterans.
50 former members of The Green Howards Regiment (now part of the Yorkshire Regiment) cycled 100 kilometres in the annual event organised by ambassador Jonathan Bell, which raised £6,000.
Jonathan: “It was a great day and fantastic to see old friends from the regiment and their families who supported us throughout the ride. A lot of people were involved in organising the ride and making it possible for us to raise so much for Blesma. It was a great turn out and there was lots of banter throughout the day that made it thoroughly enjoyable.
We have doing the Blesma 100 for eight years now and it is always well supported by veterans and the public.”
Jonathan, who served with 1st Battalion The Green Howards for 9 years, was injured along with 15 other soldiers when a car went through a foot patrol at night during a training exercise in 1993. The accident left him paralysed from the upper chest, with severe head and leg injuries resulting in a foot amputation.
He left the Army at the age of 26. After extensive rehabilitation, he studied for his university degree prior to joining the BBC, working as a producer on programmes such as Newsnight and Panorama.
Jonathan: “Blesma got me into hand cycling and this ride is about getting old friends back together and doing something to support a charity that helps so many people. There is a great camaraderie in The Green Howards and they reflect the best of that area of North Yorkshire and Teesside – tough but very friendly and very kind. It was a big team effort with lots of people making sure all the cyclists had water and everything they needed round the route. The public support was fantastic and it is great to be able to raise awareness about Blesma and the work it does to help service personnel lead independent lives after injury.”
Find out more about the work Blesma does here.
