Donation to Wirral MIND from Gifford Lea Cycling Challenge

Residents at Tattenhall retirement community, Gifford Lea have donated £650 to mental health charity Wirral Mind after taking part in a national cycling challenge organised by Inspired Villages. They joined the Inspired 1,000 Mile Challenge by contributing their own miles to the event. Their donation helped Inspired Villages to raise a total of almost £30K with its partner, Legal & General, for Mind.

The challenge, which took place in May, was launched by Inspired – a developer and operator of retirement villages – to boost the health and wellbeing of its residents and to raise awareness of the importance of staying active in later life.

The five-day event saw a team of the company's senior management take on a gruelling 500-mile cycle ride, starting at Inspired's most southerly community, Millbrook Village, in Exeter, and ending at its most northerly, Gifford Lea, in Tattenhall. Meanwhile, residents, staff and families at Inspired's villages around the UK were invited to make up the remaining 500 miles on static bikes, on foot, in wheelchairs – and even on a horse.
Plus, TV fitness instructor Mr Motivator made a special appearance at Gifford Lea to warm up the crowd and cheer the team across the finish line.
Thanks to the efforts of everyone involved, the challenge collectively clocked up over 11,000 miles – more than ten times the original 1,000-mile target.

Gifford Lea has now presented Wirral Mind with a cheque for £650, which will help the charity carry out its valuable work to promote wellbeing and prevent mental health problems in Merseyside and Chester.

Jessica Bennett, Village Manager at Gifford Lea, said: "We were delighted to make this donation to our local branch of Mind, a charity that shares our focus on mental health and wellness. Like us, Mind recognises that exercise is essential for slowing age-related cognitive decline and for promoting wellbeing.

"Our 1,000 Mile Challenge was a fantastic way to drive forward our health and wellbeing agenda, and the event was a valuable experience for all involved. It brought the whole community together, united in their goal to be healthier and raise money for a worthy cause."

Sandra Gilbert, CEO of Wirral Mind, commented: "A big thank you to everyone at Inspired Villages for this welcome donation. This will help us to continue to provide vital mental health services that are needed – when they are needed. It's fantastic to see health and wellbeing being promoted in such a positive, engaging way, we applaud the efforts of all the residents, staff and families at Gifford Lea; and we are very much looking forward to developing this partnership further over the next 12 months and beyond."

For more information, events and current availability at Gifford Lea, visit the website at: https://www.inspiredvillages.co.uk/village/gifford-lea

Photographs:
From left to right, Jessica Bennett (Village Manager), Rachel Gilbert (Mind Training Manager), David Oats (Resident), Sandra Gilbert (CEO of Wirral Mind) and Lisa Fearn (Community Liaison Manager)

and cyclists with Mr M in village.