A group of friends from Rochdale made the epic journey on their bikes from Rochdale to London all in aid of the people of Gaza.
Their ride to London was from Saturday to Tuesday this week. They left from the Jalalia Jaame Mosque in Rochdale and reached London on Tuesday.
The eight amateur riders geared up for Gaza and attempted to do their bit by raising much needed funds for the humanitarian disaster in Palestine.
Abdul Monim, one of the riders, said: “We cycled from Rochdale to London to raise funds and awareness of what’s happening in Gaza.
“In particular of the 15 medics who were murdered and buried by the IDF. Our call is to the British government to stop selling arms to Israel.
“The money raised will go towards providing hot meals to families inside Gaza.
“We aimed to raise a total of £10,000 from this campaign but actually managed to raise over £36,000.”
The journey was approximately 240 miles, with four days of cycling an average 60 miles a day.
Monim added: “We are amateur riders and have spent months training, this included long early morning weekend rides, often starting as early as 4am, hill climbing and endurance sessions.
“We got together as members of the local community with the aim of raising awareness of the genocide happening in Gaza as we couldn’t just sit and let the atrocities carry on, we had to do something for our brothers and sisters in Palestine, we wanted to do something that pushed us physically and mentally, the harder the challenge, the greater the funds.
“Our future plans are to carry on raising awareness of what’s happening in Gaza as well as around the world, as we at Unity Aid have a deeply held aim of creating a world where every person is free from the chains of oppression, and where the ummah stands united and effective in swiftly responding to disasters.
“I felt nervous but excited, embarking on such a journey and experienced so many different emotions. We’ve massively bonded as a team, and the charity Unity Aid is stronger than ever.
“I can’t sit idle while my family in Gaza suffer, I have to do something, even if it’s something small.
“The response has been unbelievable, I didn’t think we would have so much support, but when it’s for the sake of Gaza, there’s nothing but love and support.
One of the other riders, Akkas Miah from Rochdale spoke about his first ever trip to London: “What an amazing experience – the brotherhood, the support, the cause, the challenges and ultimately – the achievement.
“It’s incredible how just your legs can take you so far.
“I am keen to be involved in more campaigns and get on my bike and push my limits further.”
Donations can still be made on unity-aid.org/gearsforgaza
