Squash players cycle for charity
Friends raised money for the Stroke Association
Jane McFarlane
Members of Duffield Squash Club cycled from Hillsborough football stadium to Pride Park, in Derby, to raise money for The Stroke Association.
A group of friends swapped their racquets for road bikes when they raised more than £4,000 in memory of a friend who died following a stroke.
Members of Duffield Squash Club cycled 65-miles from Hillsborough football stadium to Pride Park, in Derby, in remembrance of fellow player Alan Haggar, who died last August aged 70.
The group of nine friends, who were joined on the epic challenge by Alan's children Paul and Faye, raised £4,500 for the Stroke Association.
The journey took the group through Hathersage, alongside Ladybower Reservoir, up and over Beeley Hill and through Crich and Little Eaton.
Among the group was Keith Howard, who raised £500 which was matched by his employer Lubrizol, in Hazelwood.
Keith, who is a strategic technology manager for the company, said: "My wife's father had a very bad stroke many years ago and he was in a coma for three weeks before he slipped away.
"A similar thing happened to Alan and it brought back many memories for me. Alan was a very popular player and I had been friends with him for 15 years. He will be sadly missed, so I am pleased we were able to do this in his memory.
"The fact that Lubrizol was very kindly matching my donations pound for pound really helped – I think more people donated knowing that their cash was effectively being doubled."
Every year in the UK 100,000 people have a stroke, which means there is one every five minutes. It can happen to anyone, of any age, at any time.
If you would like to make a donation to the Stroke Association, which supports people affected to rebuild their lives, visit the website www.stroke.org.uk/donate/make-donation
Little Eaton