1st September – 4th September
202 miles
We are now in our 8th year of charity cycling, raising money for charities close to our hearts. Yes, 8 years of shifting our Mamil clad bodies round the beautiful roads of the west coast of Scotland and Ireland.
During our adventures we have managed to raise over £50,000 for charities close to our hearts and so this year we are going to be raising money for Group B Strep Support.
Being the Palindrome Cycle, we had to go back over an old route we cycled a few years back. Over 4 days, 1st September – 4th September we’ll be riding up the west coast through villages and towns rattling our cans and raising some money too, covering over 200 miles – not much for an Olympian but enough to wreak havoc with the old Duke of Argylls!
Why Group B Strep?
*Image taken from Wikimedia Commons
Many people haven’t heard of Group B Strep but it’s a bacterium carried by around 30% of the population, usually doing no harm to adults. However, for babies contracting a GBS infection during birth, it can cause serious infection, terrible long-term disabilities and even death. Anti-biotics given where expectant mothers are carrying Group B Strep can save babies but reliable testing of pregnant women in this country is not routine therefore babies are still dying or suffering terribly due to GBS infection.
Tragically, one of our cyclists, George, lost one of his twin baby daughters to Group B Strep when she was only 7 days old. George and his wife knew nothing about GBS when they were expecting their girls and it was not hospital policy to offer testing. You can imagine how it feels knowing that your precious baby could have been saved if you only knew you were carrying a common yet deadly bacterium.
Group B Strep Support is the only UK charity dedicated to eradicating group B Strep infections, including meningitis, in babies.
GBSS provides up to date and evidence based information on group B Strep to families and their health professionals, and support to affected families.
GBSS wants every pregnant woman to be given information on group B Strep as a routine part of her antenatal care, and offered the opportunity to have a sensitive test for GBS carriage late in pregnancy.
Ultimately, GBSS wants GBS infections in babies to be eradicated.
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