Thomson will be one of the sector braves taking on a 400km cycle through Cuba between 18 and 26 April next year with others to support the Licensed Trade Charity and Only A Pavement away.
Here is her first entry:
I enjoy a challenge. I wouldn’t be working in hospitality if that weren’t the case.
We all know it’s tough out there and, although it sounds like a cliché, our chosen charities and their beneficiaries need our help now more than ever.
Personally, I’ve been fortunate enough to not need to draw on the support of these charities but that’s not because my life’s been plain sailing. It’s taken the support of my beautiful family to get me on an even keel (to carry on the metaphor) and I know how lucky I am.
Safety net
Others aren’t so fortunate. The Licensed Trade Charity is the safety net for exactly the times when you least expect it; a bit of financial bad luck or a mental health side-swipe, for example.
And Only A Pavement Away recognises the potential in people who may consider themselves ‘no-hopers’, getting them into gainful employment, learning real skills. It’s all vital work and it needs our support.
Tempting as it is to pay my sponsorship and sit back to allow others to do the challenge, the truth is I’m not one to take the easy route. I’m grateful to my sponsors this time around, Footprint, E-Keg and Calvatis, but we are only just getting started.
Training ever since
I have to confess fundraising is the hardest part of this challenge. It reminds me of the days of chasing around with a piece of paper in pursuit of 2p per mile sponsored walks when I was a kid but this fundraising is just as much about spreading the word about these charities. And, confession time, I’m in a better place now too.
You’ve heard it before, ‘change starts with you’. I started this journey two years ago when I signed up to support Katy Moses and the Hospitality Rides team to ride across parts of Kenya. I’ve been training ever since, up to six days a week – not bad for someone fast approaching 60.
Every gym session, every (short) run and every bike ride contribute towards this challenge. I’m up for it and I hope you’ll get behind me and the Hospitality Rides team to give us a virtual push up those hills.
