Albert Edward Prince of Wales Court residents and staff embark on a 1,200 mile virtual Bikeathon

Residents and staff at Albert Edward Prince of Wales Court, in Porthcawl, have embarked on a 1,200 mile virtual Bikeathon across Wales and England.

Among those contributing some peddle power is the Home’s eldest resident, 101 year old, Roy Watkins (pictured left).

In normal times, residents at the Home enjoy lots of outdoor activities and outings. But since lockdown, for their own safety, they haven’t been able to go on trips outside of the Home and external entertainers are unable to go into the Home.

The Home’s Activities Coordinators, Mandy Kilpatrick-Evans and Hannah Hutchinson came up with the highly original, idea of the Bikeathon, which has two aims: to encourage both residents and staff to keep active using the Home’s indoor exercise bike to support health and wellbeing. And to raise funds to purchase an electric side by side trike for the residents to enjoy in the Home’s garden.

Albert Edward Prince of Wales Court is run by RMBI Care Co., which has 18 care homes across Wales and England. The 1,200 mile virtual route has been pinned on a map, going across England and Wales, virtually visiting each of the Homes. The ride began at Scarbrough Court in Cramlington and will end back in Porthcawl at the end of September.

Also contributing plenty of peddle power is 88 year old resident, John Welland. He has been a cycling enthusiast all his life, completing the London to Brighton bike race three times for charity.

So far, John has cycled a phenomenal 265 miles on the Home’s exercise bike, with an average of 18 miles each day! He says:

“Cycling has kept me fit for years! I’m enjoying the challenge!”

Mandy Kilpatrick-Evans and Hannah Hutchinson, said:

“We have completed 612 miles of our 1,200 mile journey so far, so we’re on track! It’s been a great way for our residents to be more active in a safe, supported environment. Our staff are also jumping on the bike whenever they can, but it’s fair to say that John is way ahead of them! Having the fundraising target has proven to be a great incentive for everyone to go that extra mile!

“We are aiming to complete our Bikeathon by the end of September and we would love our local community to sponsor us on this last leg so that we can purchase an electric trike for our residents to enjoy when lockdown ends.”

If you would like to support the Albert Edward Prince of Wales Bikeathon, you can do so via JustGiving