In January 2003 Rianna Davenport, just eight years old, died tragically when a tree fell during lunch time at West Ashtead Primary School – located just along the road from Ashtead Hospital.
The circumstances of her death in a small village such as Ashtead was a great shock to the whole community. Riannas death touched so many people and there was a ground swell not only of sympathy for her family, but a feeling of the community coming together and doing something positive and lasting in Riannas name and memory.
In the months that followed, her family received overwhelming support. This encouragement gave them the belief that ‘one life can make many changes’ and Riannas Fund children's charity was established. For the last few years their objective has been to continue to help and support underprivileged children around the world reach their full potential.
With ongoing support from the local community, Riannas Fund has built and maintains a home for orphans in Kenya, the building of a new school for over 640 children in Kampala, Uganda and more recently a number of projects in India, which include building a new children’s home in Mumbai.
What donations can pay for -
£5 pays for one month’s schools fee for a child in Malongo
£25 pays for a child’s care for one year at Way True Life Children’s Home in India
£100 pays for a year’s primary school education for a child in Kenya
And so, Lucy and her husband, Pete, have decided to cycle from Ashtead to Cologne on 8th September to raise money for this wonderful charity, 300 miles in 3 days. All riders (approximately 50 in total) are hoping to raise enough funding to build 3 new classroom blocks, each of 3 classrooms, at 3 different rural schools in Uganda.
For anyone who follows any kind of keep fit regime, the cycle is a challenge. Lucy cycled from Ashtead to Amsterdam 2 years ago but this year she is dragging her husband along (He only started riding this year). She has already been spotted struggling up the local inclines and frequently bursts into tears on longer training rides and the post cycle ice cold baths are nothing short of torture. But she is determined to complete the challenge and raise as much money as she can for Riannas Fund.
In the next few weeks Lucy will be holding a few fund raising activities as follows including a raffle, a cake sale and a second hand book sale at Ashtead Hospital.
Any donation, no matter how small, towards the £1,800 target will ensure that Lucy keeps going even when she is crying, her legs are cramping and she is about to throw in the towel!