4 July 2009

Nigel Skill’s 14 day UK tour for Maggie’s

As part of the 90th anniversary celebrations of Skills Holidays in Nottingham, managing director, Nigel Skill, has arranged a special, and strictly one-off, 14 day holiday for himself.

From Sunday 26 July, Nigel is to cycle the 1,000 or so miles from Land’s End to John O’Groats to raise money for Maggie’s Nottingham to help in their campaign to raise £3 million for a new cancer support centre. Taking in places that include Bristol, Wrexham, Carlisle, the Great Glen, and Inverness on the way, he hopes his bike, muscles and back side will see him safely reach the northern terminus by Sunday 9 August.

His target is £9,000 - £100 for each year - and he needs your help, and donations, to achieve it. Maggie’s is the Nottingham Evening Post’s charity for 2009.

The plan for a bike ride started in January when he promised 250 Skills holidaymakers on a weekend break in Harrogate that he’d do something special for the firm’s 90th anniversary. “Among our guests were Maggie’s fundraisers, Dennis and Glenis Ping, who suggested that the ‘something’ be special for them. And so, without too much thought and no understanding of the route, distance or comfort, I said ‘yes’.

“Fortunately, I’ve had six months training since then; but the prospect of at least 80 miles a day, makes me wonder if that Harrogate idea was all that sound,” says Nigel.

Accompanied by a ‘coach’, Ceri Edwards, Nigel will keep the world aware of his progress by regular updates on the Skills Holidays website and through the pages of Twitter and Facebook. He will meet Skills Holidaymakers as he passes the Lake District, and Maggie’s charity supporters promise to cheer him on his way as he goes by other UK centres.

Nigel Skill can be followed throughout July on Facebook by searching for ‘Nigel Skill’ and adding him there. He is also logging progress on www.twitter.com/skillsholidays and on his personal online newsletter at www.skillsholidays.co.uk

On line donations can be made at http://www.justgiving.com/skillsholidays