The chapel directors undertake epic ride for cancer charities

Toby and Amanda Dicker, directors of The Chapel group of salons, are undertaking an epic bike ride from The Chapel in Verbier, Switzerland,  to the group’s flagship site in Tunbrigde Wells, Kent. The pair, along with a small group of fellow riders, are hoping to raise £50,000 for cancer charities through the challenge, in memory of three members of the Chapel team who lost their lives to the illness. “There are two sides to the fundraising with corporate sponsors and businesses pledging donations for the ride going to The Pickering Cancer Drop-in Centre and individual rider sponsorships going to Cancer Research UK,” explains Toby. The Cycle 4 Cancer - 4 Chapel Challenge will take in each of the group’s four salons, located in Tunbridge Wells, Sevenoaks, Islington, and of course, Verbier. Speaking of the motivation behind the challenge, Toby said: “Cancer steals into so many lives, robbing us of family, friends and loved ones. It’s a disease that touches us all, and here at The Chapel we’ve felt that keenly while supporting five of our current and former team members through diagnosis and therapy over recent years. Especially shocking has been the fact that four of our five colleagues were diagnosed while under the age of thirty, and while we’ve been blessed that two of them have beaten the disease, heartbreakingly three of them are no longer with us. In honour of their incredible bravery (and that of all those who fight this frightening disease) we’ve determined to get on our bikes and do something they’d be proud of.” Toby and Amanda are calling on other cyclists to join them for the last leg of the tour. Says Toby: We’re hoping to be joined by a host more fundraisers ready to jump on their bikes for the final day’s fun ride into London. Once assembled, we’ll be heading directly from Tunbridge Wells to our sister salon in Islington, a 39-mile journey that cyclists of all standards should be able to complete comfortably in under four hours. “We’ll stay in Islington for lunch and photo opps while rendezvousing with those ready to take the ‘3 Chapel Challenge’, the return journey from Islington to Tunbridge Wells via a pitstop in Sevenoaks, a fantastic 42 mile ride through town and country that should be accomplished by novice cyclists in under 5 hours. It’s the very last leg of our epic challenge, and once safely back in Tunbridge Wells we’ll be met with some very welcome celebratory refreshments, and possibly ambulances!” To sponsor a rider of to get involved head to the official Cycle 4 Cancer - 4 Chapel Challenge website.