Hundreds of cyclists will support Birmingham Hospice at the ten-year anniversary of the charity’s cycle sportive, Ride the Reservoir.
This year marks a decade since Birmingham Hospice first held this event in 2015 –
with cyclists having raised an incredible £236,785 in aid of vital palliative and end of
life care over the years. Over 300 cyclists took on the challenge in 2024, raising over
£20,000.
On Sunday 27 April, participants can choose to tackle a 75km, 100km or 100 mile route
from Newman University, around Bartley Green Reservoir and through the scenic
Worcestershire countryside. The 100 mile route was launched last year, providing an
extra challenge to the sportive.
Rebecca Richards, Senior Events Manager at Birmingham Hospice, said: “Ride the Reservoir is back for its tenth year and we can’t wait! We have tweaked some of the
routes to make sure it’s the most enjoyable one yet. We can’t wait to welcome
hundreds of cyclists to support Birmingham Hospice on Sunday 27 April.”
Keen cyclists around the West Midlands are welcomed to sign up to the challenge and
raise sponsorship for Birmingham Hospice. The hospice has around 800 people in its
care each day across all its services – but despite the importance of this work,
Birmingham Hospice is not fully funded by the NHS. It is reliant on support from the
community, and must raise £6.5 million this year from fundraising campaigns,
voluntary donations and income from shops to continue delivering its services.
Fundraising support is therefore more crucial than ever. Through events like Ride the
Reservoir, Birmingham Hospice can continue to provide its expert, specialist and
compassionate palliative and end of life care for years to come.
Cyclist Stacey Downton-Collins is taking on the challenge in memory of her ‘Gramps’,
Brian, who was cared for by the hospice in the Inpatient Unit, and later at home by
their Hospice at Home Team. She explained: “Brian was my partner’s grandad. I lost
my grandparents when I was young and he made me feel so welcome when I joined
the family, I considered him my grandad.
“He was a character, and he loved the Robin Reliant tricycle. He was well-known in
the area and rode around playing loud music.
“He was very funny, and he made friends with the staff…They were so wonderful, they
looked after him when he needed support and helped us through a really difficult time.We called them angels.
“I wanted to raise money for Birmingham Hospice and get fit, so [Ride the Reservoir] is
perfect.”
To find out more about Ride the Reservoir, please visit the Birmingham Hospice
website: Ride the Reservoir 2025 – Birmingham Hospice
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