We were delighted to see the return of its biggest supporter-led fundraising event, the Halow250. Almost 100 cyclists pedalled from Friday 29 April to Sunday 1 May to raise money for our charity. It was an incredibly successful 9^th year of the event, raising a spectacular £142,000!

Organised by 2Boats Events, the riders cycled an impressive 250 miles from London to France and then back to Guildford in just 48 hours. The riders, led by halow patron Damon Hill OBE, and supported by a fantastic volunteer team, travelled from London down to Portsmouth on the Friday, followed by over 100 miles through Normandy on the Saturday. They finally reached the finish in Godalming on the Sunday. At the end of this epic adventure, the cyclists were welcomed by friends, family, halow young people, and of course a glass of bubbly to celebrate. Some of the halow young people even joined the riders to cycle the last mile! Costs of the event are met by a combination of rider fees and the generosity of the event sponsors, so the whole fundraising total will be donated to halow.

George and Mark from 2Boats Events shared, “It was a long time coming but the Halow250 weekend was certainly worth the wait. After a send-off breakfast provided by our title sponsor Young’s, our cyclists started their 250-mile ride. The weekend continues to be an overwhelming success due to the involvement, engagement, and enthusiasm of everyone connected with the event. We were especially pleased to be joined by several young people riding the final section of our route, sharing and celebrating our homecoming as one. The benefits of the Halow250 clearly extend far beyond the ride weekend alone; for us the Halow250 remains a friendly and social event with the connection to the halow project at its core. We will be back in 2023 for Halow250 #PerfectTen, watch this space!”

Some of the young people we support got in the spirit of the event too. Building Futures held a Static250 over the weekend, with the kind support of Waitrose in Guildford. They set up outside the store with the aim to cycle a combined total of 250 miles on static bikes. Thank you to everyone who came by and donated to support their cycling efforts. They did wonderfully and raised £864 – a fantastic result over just 3 days.

Rachelle Barnett, halow’s Head of Fundraising and Communications, said: “We are so delighted with the amazing total raised so far. It is such a boost for everyone in our halow community to know that so many people are supporting our work. The Halow250 event is the biggest fundraiser in aid of our charity during the year, and we are very grateful to all our cyclists and to the event organiser, 2Boats Events. By raising £142,000, the participants are enabling halow to provide a wide variety of activities to promote fun and, to fund learning and skills sessions including IT, cookery, art, and fitness, and to open up wider opportunities to young people with learning disabilities.”

We are so grateful for everyone’s support for this fundraising effort and can’t wait to celebrate the 10^th year during the 2023 May bank holiday. Keep an eye on our website and social media for updates as it’s sure to be something special. If you’re interested in taking part next year, please email fundraising@halowproject.org.uk.