Dougie's Tour De Force

Monday, 19 July 2021 10:00

By Laura Mitchell

During June 10-year-old Dougie Wren cycled from Horsham to Shoreham and back again to raise over £1,300 for St Catherine’s Hospice in memory of his Nanny Chris, writes Laura Mitchell

Most ten-year olds might spend time at the weekend kicking a ball about while waiting for Euro 2020 to start, playing on their devices, or just chilling out watching TV. Not so for Dougie Wren from Horsham, who has just completed a bike ride of 40 miles, fundraising for St. Catherine’s Hospice in Crawley, where his Nanny spent her final days.

Dougie recalled, “Last year, my sister and I sadly lost our lovely Nanny. She was a wonderful Nanny who always looked after us while Mummy and Daddy worked. She took us for wonderful days out too. Nanny did lots for charity and would always put others before herself. In honour of her, I was inspired and wanted to raise as much money as I could for St Catherine’s.”

Dougie pounded the pedals alongside his Dad, James, to raise over £1,300 for the Crawley based hospice. The two rouleurs pedalled south, taking in a great chunk of the Downs Link as they sped past Christ’s Hospital, then through Southwater, West Grinstead, Partridge Green, Henfield, Steyning and Botolphs on the way to the dip their toes in the English Channel at Shoreham-by-Sea.

Having arrived at the coast, there was only one thing left to do… make the return journey. Undeterred the peloton of two, clad in the orange jerseys of St. Catherine’s Hospice completed the task before the day was out. After 40 miles in the saddle, family and friends were there to welcome them across the finish line and to help them celebrate – All that was missing was a yellow jersey for Dougie!

Tracey Wren, Dougie’s Mum, said, “I’m so proud of Dougie, and I know his Nanny would be very proud too. He’s worked really hard training, and cycled in the heat of a hot day, only stopping for photographs. We’re very grateful to everyone who has supported Dougie and James and helped them raise such a brilliant amount of money. It’s lovely to know this will help St Catherine’s support other families like ours in the future.”

Felicity Parsons, Fundraiser at St Catherine’s said, “We’re so grateful to Dougie and his Dad for taking on this incredible challenge in memory of his Nanny. Their support, and the support of our wider community has never been more vital. As a result of the pandemic, we’ve had a drop of around £1.5 million in income. We’re reliant on the support and fundraising efforts of people in our local community to make sure we can be here for years to come. Every challenge taken on and every penny raised makes a difference. On behalf of everyone at St Catherine’s, I’d like to say a big thank you to Dougie and his family. It’s a wonderful tribute to Dougie’s wonderful Nanny.”

To support Dougie please visit: www.justgiving. com/fundraising/tracey-wren3

If Dougie has inspired you to take on your own challenge, discover different ways to support St Catherine’s at: www.stch.org.uk/diy

To make a donation to help your local hospice please visit: www.stch.org.uk/donate or call 01293 447361

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Dougie's Tour De Force

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