CoralTree rise to the Brittany Challenge

From 7th to 9th October 2005 a team of four cyclists from CoralTree once again braved the vagaries of the French autumn to tackle the Wessex Heartbeat Brittany Challenge 2005, travelling 500 miles, in relay, across some of the most scenic - and hilliest - countryside in north-western France with the aim of raising over £1,000 for charity.

On day 1 the CoralTree team of Nigel Webster, John Phillips, Carlo Fanciullacci and Simon Scott cycled from St Malo, along the rugged Brittany coastline to Perros-Guirrec on the Rose Granite coast. On day 2 the route became decidedly more hilly as the team headed inland before reaching the south coast of Brittany, near Lorient. On day 3 the team moved north through rural Brittany before heading westward through Pontivy, Josselin and the Forest of Paimpont, finally arriving at the finish line at Mont St Michel.

The Charities

In all, the Heartbeat Challenge raised over £125,000. Half of the money raised by CoralTree was donated to the Wessex Heartbeat charity, with the rest being divided equally between our two nominated charities: the Neuroblastoma Society and the Mirasol Trust. The Neuroblastoma Society works to raise funds for research into Neuroblastoma, an aggressive childhood cancer that attacks the body's central nervous system and affects about 100 children per year in the UK. The Mirasol Trust (the name means "Sunflower" in Portuguese) is a Brazilian orphanage whose aim is relieving poverty, advancing education and preserving health among children and young people in Brazil.

The 2006 Heartbeat Loire Challenge takes place in October and will take in some some of the most picturesque parts of Normandy, finishing up near Granville on the south west of the Cherbourg Peninsula. Watch this space for more information.