A group of saddle-sore cyclists have raised £6,000 through a 180-mile coast-to-coast bike ride – despite admitting that none of them knew how to repair a puncture or fix a chain!

The six-strong Teesside group travelled from Cumbria’s Walney Island on the west coast to Whitby on the east coast in just two-and-a-half days as part of a fundraising push that also included two golf days and a dinner.

And their efforts resulted in them presenting a cheque for £10,000 to the Catholic Diocese of Middlesbrough’s Youth Mission Team that carries out work across an area stretching as far south as Hull.

The group are all members of the Catenians Association, dedicated to providing practising Catholic laymen and their families with friendship, social activities and support.

The Cyclists and Fr Paul

Phil Carey, president of the Middlesbrough Catenians, made the Youth Mission Team his chosen charity and was delighted to hit his £10,000 target, thanks to the support of his fellow fundraisers.

But he admitted that the gruelling bike ride had not always gone completely to plan due to what he called “technical issues”.

“None of us knew how to fix a puncture, mend a broken chain or adjust gears or brakes,” Phil revealed. “In fact, there was a long debate about which one of us would bring our Dad along to be the mechanic!

“We aren’t experienced cyclists, none of us suited lycra and we were powered on by a diet of pies, fish and chips, Mars bars, Black Sheep bitter, Marlboros and nicotine inhalers.

“There were long days in the saddle, but it was great fun, there was a great sense of camaraderie and it was for a cause we all believed in.”

Others taking part in the coast-to-coast bike ride included Simon Carey, Phil Luke, Ste Hodgson, Mike Kavanagh, Gary Smith and Jamie Brown, with Paul Healey driving a support bus, kindly loaned by Victoria’s Bathrooms.

The fundraising effort was inspired by a talk the Catenians heard by Fr Paul Farrer, who heads up the Youth Mission Team.

After receiving the £10,000 cheque at the Catenians’ annual dinner at the Riverside Stadium, Fr Paul admitted to being “overwhelmed” to receive such an amount.

“I’m full of admiration for their efforts and very grateful. Phil had told me that he had chosen the Youth Mission as his charity and casually told me that the Catenians would make a commitment to raise a serious amount of money.

“£10,000 helps pay for two of our volunteer team members for a year, so it is a massive boost for us.”

More than 20,000 young people in schools and parishes across the north of England have benefited from the work of the Youth Mission Team, whose Gospel teachings are delivered in a dynamic and creative style.

The coast-to-coast bike ride was topped up by golf days at Rockliffe Hall and Teesside Golf Club, together with a dinner at McCoys at the Tontine.