A team of doctors and their friends will cycle around Cumbria to raise funds for their life-saving work.
BEEP Doctors, who are often first at the scene of an incident to offer emergency care, are taking on the 260-mile journey to raise much-needed cash for the charity.
On Friday July 29, the team will set off from their Penrith headquarters and spend four days on the road, arriving back on Tuesday, August 3.
Last year, six cyclists raised over £2,000 for the charity, but with sponsorship from The Lakes Free Range Egg Co Ltd this year, the team hopes to smash their previous amount and raise even more vital funds, which will go towards this year’s fundraising campaign to purchase four new emergency vehicles.
Dr Theo Weston, chair of the BEEP Doctors charity and lead cyclist, said: “Last year really was a challenge for all of us who took on the cycle ride. Not only did we have to ride 260 miles, but the heat was unbearable, so we’re hoping for cooler temperatures this time around. However, this year we have taken things up a notch with sponsorship and support from lots of Cumbrian organisations.”
Last year, BEEP Doctors raised over £145,000 for essential life saving equipment for the charity. This year the target is to raise £250,000 to ensure the future sustainability of the charity and raise funds for four new emergency vehicles.
Dr Weston added: “Over the years our charity has expanded to reach all corners of Cumbria, which is why we decided to cycle around the county. The charity began in 1994 with three doctors, now we have 11 doctors who cover the whole of Cumbria. This means our costs have gone up, as each doctors needs equipment and specialist training to ensure we can provide the best pre-hospital care to patients.”
Working closely with the ambulance service and Great North Air Ambulance, the BEEP doctors provide specialist emergency pre-hospital care and intervention previously only available once a patient reaches hospital. That could be on the roadside at the scene of a road traffic accident or during a life-threatening emergency. The doctors are all unpaid, on call 24/7 and are not funded by the NHS, so donations, fundraising events and grants keep the charity going and to buy the vital equipment they need.
Helen Brass, company secretary at The Lakes Free Range Egg Company, said: “We all know how important the first hour is when there is a medical emergency, so it’s very reassuring to have the Beep Doctor team on call. They now cover the whole of Cumbria which is a huge task in such a rural county. They were originally set up in Eden over 25 years ago, pretty much at the same time we began packing eggs, so we’ve seen how much they have achieved since those very early days.
“As an industry, farming has a very high accident rate, and being so rural, it is good to know that our farming communities can call on BEEP teams on for emergency medical aid, and in Eden, it’s reassuring to have a team on the doorstep.
“We’re also very pleased that they have agreed to come to The Lakes’ packing centre, to provide basic first aid training for some of our staff – something we all need in our everyday lives. Whilst none of The Lakes’ team has needed their assistance, it’s good to know it’s there if we ever do need it.”
The BEEP Doctors are welcoming anyone else who would like to join them on the cycle ride, for the whole or just part of their journey and for anyone to support them along the way or even BEEP their horn if they see them out on the road.
To donate, visit https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/cycle-ride-2022
