Paul Leigh

Paul Leigh's Lands End to John O'Groats solo sponsored cycle ride

"1000 miles in 14 days"

July 2004

Prize Draw Results

LUNCH FOR TWO at CHARLTON HOUSE

was won by D. Peacock of Priddy

BOTTLE of CHAMPAGNE

was won by E. Jackson of Bristol

in aid of
St Peter’s Maternity Unit, Shepton Mallet
Midwife-led maternity care for the Mendip region
and
Women’s Aid
national charity for women & children affected by domestic violence

100% of funds raised will go to the causes.

And the total raised was £1,254.27

With MANY thanks to all my sponsors, including

CLARKS of STREET
CHARLTON HOUSE HOTEL of SHEPTON MALLET
SWAN’S STATIONERS of WELLS
WALTON PRESS of GLASTONBURY
GOTHIC IMAGE of GLASTONBURY
RICHARD COLLINS of Wells Car Parking Services
CHURCH STREET PRACTICE of BRADFORD ON AVON

So what's it all about?

Well, what started out as a goal to aid getting fit and losing weight has also become a drive to raise funds for two very worthwhile good causes.
In our osteopathic practice Stacey and I see lots of babies and new mums, and we hear very good reports of St. Peter's Maternity Unit. They provide a "home from home" for women who may not want a home birth but would prefer not to go into hospital to deliver. There are studies which show that midwife-led, as opposed to obstetric-led maternity services, produce lower rates of intervention. Working with the "cranial" approach within osteopathy I see, literally every day, how hugely important and influential the birth process is to the development of the child. (For more on this see www.cranial.org.uk) Giving children the best possible start has to be one of the most worthwhile goals to support.
I also wanted to raise funds for a national issue, and in thinking about the state of things in the world today it occurred to me, as it has many times before, that so much of what we see as wrong in the world comes about as a result of the abuse of power. So where do you start when such abuse is present at every level of society? In searching out various charities I was struck by Women's Aid for a number of reasons. They mention that everyone should have the right to feel safe in their own home, which did seem to me to be a pretty basic requirement. But it is one simple need which is being denied to a huge number of women and children affected by domestic violence. Women's Aid help get women out of abusive situations, and give children a chance to grow up free from fear. And while they are a national charity, this is an issue affecting people in your town, right now. Women's Aid both support individual women and children, and inform, educate, and campaign at a national level.

All contributions, no matter how big, ;-) have been, and will be, very gratefully received. If you would like to support these causes now that my collection has finished, please send donations direct to St Peter's or Womens Aid.