Thank you so much for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.  I would like to take this opportunity to tell you a little about why I am taking part in this bike ride and what it is for.

Sara Groves was a vibrant young person, enjoying and exploring life to the full, like so many others of her age.  She was making her first steps into the adult world with her whole life ahead of her.  Tragically she was murdered in Kashmir a year ago not long before she was due home to start the next stage of what should have been a long and happy and fulfilling life.

The devastating effect on her family and friends has been seen on both local and national television and very much felt in my local community.

I too lost a brother in different but equally sudden and tragic circumstances who was a similar age to Sara so I know the heartbreak it brings.

Sara’s family have set up a foundation in her name in the hope that some good can come out of this tragic event.  The hope is, I am sure, that although Sara is no longer with us – her spirit will endure in the legacy that is her foundation.

Sara’s main interests lay in art, children, adventure, and fitness.  She wanted to ‘live a life less ordinary’ and it is hoped that through a variety of diverse projects the foundation can help young people do just that.

Now, it is of course much easier to raise money for one specific large goal – like a school in Africa for example or a cancer wing in a hospital.  These are of course immensely worthy causes and people can easily visualize the end result.  However, it is well known that in reality it is often the smaller initiatives that collectively have the biggest impact on individuals but these often struggle to get the financial and practical backing they need.

The Sara Groves Foundation in conjunction with the Guernsey Community Foundation is dedicated to support initiatives for young people in those areas that Sara herself was involved in.  There are many young people who are disadvantages either physically, mentally, emotionally or financially who need a helping hand in often small ways to help them meet their potential.  Guernsey is a very affluent society and most of us are privileged to have parents who are able to support us practically, emotionally and financially in reaching our goals – but many do not and as a result never reach their full potential. The Foundation’s aim is to help young people in numerous ways to fulfil their potential and ‘live a life less ordinary’ and by eliciting the help of the Guernsey Community Foundation this will ensure that money raised will be wisely spent.   For more information please see the links below.

www.sarahgrovesfoundation.org .              www.foundation.gg.

The Sara Groves Foundation also hope to support fundraising events that in themselves offer people the chance to participate in some of the areas that Sara was involved in.  Under the category of “fitness” an annual 600 mile bike ride St Malo – Paris – St Malo will be supported by the Foundation in order to raise funds to support its overall aims. The 2014 Sarah Groves Foundation Bike Ride will take place on the 21^st of May.  It will last for 6 days and will comprise 50 like-minded individuals cycling to “Sarah’s Bridge” in Paris before returning to St Malo.  This will be a gruelling 600 mile journey as most of us (including myself) are NOT regular cyclists – at least not part of a club.  I want to raise at least £1,750 and while I have undertaken numerous local challenges and raised quite a bit I still need more and time is running out!!  So, if you believe small is beautiful (that would be the charity not me!) then PLEASE make a donation – however small to this worthy cause.  I can then stand on Sara’s bridge in Paris and know her legacy will survive and maybe I can snatch a small piece of that legacy for my brother.  Everyone should have one! : )