500 Miles of Teamwork

The young women of the charity organisation, BAPS (Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar-Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha) are raising health and fitness awareness by launching a monumental and exciting fundraising campaign in the form of a 500-mile cycle challenge. This event to be held on 30 August 2008 will provide a unique opportunity for the BAPS Leicester women’s youth wing to raise essential funds for the forthcoming BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir (temple) & Cultural Complex. BAPS, a socio-spiritual care organisation is committed to promoting social cohesion and harmony. BAPS Leicester has been based at St. James Street for over three decades and will now develop a new mandir within the heart of the Leicester’s Indian community.

A fundraising campaign with a difference…

The two-fold campaign is to propel health and fitness awareness within the community and raise funds towards sports equipment and recreational activities for the new Mandir & cultural complex. The challenge also includes a target of £5,000, which is to be collectively raised by the young women. The challenge involves two months of rigorous training where the young women have been meeting in their respective areas and cycling together in a local park. The very foundation of the challenge is designed to drive teamwork and solidarity amongst the participants. These training sessions are intended to boost teamwork and motivation between the girls, as is sharing the 500 miles and target of funds to be raised.

Leicester City Council has strongly promoted numerous initiatives to encourage cycling and fully supports this challenge. The Cyclists Touring Club (CTC) – The Cycling Champions, UK’s National Cyclists organisation has kindly donated bicycles, helmets, mile counters and a great deal of advice and support to this event and the BAPS organisation.

The day of the cycle challenge will have a strong focus on health awareness; this will include stalls from charities such as Diabetes UK, The British Heart Foundation, Breast Cancer Care UK and Asthma UK. The Right Worshipful, the Lord Mayor of Leicester, Councillor Mrs Manjula Sood will launch the event at St Margaret’s Pastures Sports Centre.

Priya Palan, a 20 year old Art student and a participant, expressed how, “Finding the balance between living a busy student lifestyle, being an active individual and managing my diabetes can be tough. Given the opportunity to be involved in an event that is not only good for my health but a great chance to encourage others to understand how important it is to maintain good health makes this event extremely valuable for the entire Asian community”.

Visit www.justgiving.com/bapscyclechallenge to offer your support.