Nottingham duo take on 100-mile East Midlands cycle challenge to raise money to support brand new NHS National Rehabilitation Centre | Latest news

Two colleagues who will soon be working at the country’s first NHS National Rehabilitation Centre (NRC), staffed and run by Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (NUH), are taking on a 100-mile fundraising cycling challenge across the four counties served by the NRC.

Robyn Wiles and Holly Clarke, both Advanced Clinical Practitioners at NUH and physiotherapists by background, will set off from the NRC on Saturday 27 June and travel through Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire, before returning to finish at the NRC – all in a single day.

The pair hope to raise £1,500 for Nottingham Hospitals Charity through sponsorship to help fund suitable storage for adaptive hand-cycles and trikes being gifted to the NRC.

The NRC is the first of its kind – a 70-bed, state-of-the-art specialist rehabilitation centre for NHS patients who have experienced a life-changing illness or injury. The brand-new facility is co-located with the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre (DMRC) on the Stanford Hall Rehabilitation Estate (SHRE) near Loughborough. 

The NRC will primarily receive patients from across the East Midlands, many of them anticipated to come through the East Midland’s Major Trauma Centre – the busiest in the UK and based at NUH.

Therefore, the route will start at the NRC itself, before going down to Birstall near Leicester, up out to Grantham, into Nottingham via Bingham, through Long Eaton to Alvaston in Derby, and then back through Kegworth to finish at the NRC.

Robyn, 34, from Wollaton, admits that she has never cycled this far before but isn’t daunted by the challenge as it’s for a great cause.

She said: “We know it’s going to be a challenge, but we’re not nervous.

“Our main focus at the moment is working out the logistics such as where we can refill water and fuel up with food, how to keep comfortable on a bike for that long, as well as a strategy for cycling together.

“We’re also well into our training now, including a long cycle ride once a week.

“Please do donate what you can to keep the wheels turning, and give us a wave and cheer us on if you see us on the road!”

Holly, 41, from Bingham, explained that she’s not done a cycle ride this long for at least nine years but is looking forward to it.

She said: “This ride will be the most challenging I have completed to date, with varying undulations and a wider area to navigate.

“However, we both really enjoy cycling and absolutely relish the challenge. Plus, it means so much more when you know there are positive outcomes from the money raised from the challenge.”

Robyn and Holly are currently working on C24 Ward at Queen’s Medical Centre (QMC) which is treating patients who would otherwise be at the NRC, whilst they wait for the building to be ready.

Robyn, who previously worked at the DMRC next door, says she is excited to move into the new NHS centre and is excited to see the impact the adaptive bikes will have on their patients’ rehabilitation.

She said: “It will be great to be somewhere which is purpose built and to be part of the team changing how rehab is done in this country and taking a proactive approach to returning people to their lives.

“Adaptive bikes bring a whole other avenue to the rehabilitation potential for our patients. It will help us to take people outside, rather than them just staring at a gym wall, and we’re confident it will help with multiple aspects including movement, sleep and pain management.

“However, we need a dedicated, secure storage unit to keep these specialized bikes safe and ready for use – and that’s what every penny donated will go towards.”

Nigel Gregory, Chief Executive of Nottingham Hospitals Charity, said: "We're extremely grateful to Holly and Robyn for taking on this fantastic challenge to raise money for bike storage at the NRC.

“It's very fitting that they have chosen to cycle across the areas the NRC will serve, in order to help fund storage for the hand cycles and trikes that will be used as part of their future patients' treatment at the centre.

“We'd like to wish them both the best of luck for their challenge."

Sponsor Holly and Robyn via their JustGiving Page: https://www.justgiving.com/page/nrc100mile?utm_medium=FR&utm_source=CL