Team Bridges’ Humber Tri Challenge raises over £6,000 for Forward at The Bridges
Supporters of Forward at The Bridges have raised an incredible £6,140 by taking on the Humber Tri Challenge, a gruelling 63-mile triathlon in Hull.
Supported by The Humber Rescue, the challenge was expected to see the Team Bridges challengers, led by Dr James Britton, swimming 1.6 miles, followed by a 48-mile bike ride, and a 13-mile run back to the Humber Bridge on 12 September 2020. However, in the event Team Bridges completed an epic 73 miles in ten hours, cycling an extra ten miles after the planned swim on the river Humber had to be delayed due to strong winds.
The culmination of months of training and preparation, Team Bridges took on the challenge in aid of The Bridges, Forward’s residential rehab. Based in Hull, The Bridges is the only residential rehabilitation centre in the UK that specialises in supporting prison leavers with substance misuse problems.
The Bridges is highly effective, with just 24% of those completing the programme going on to re-offend within one year, compared to around 76% for those leaving prison with unresolved addiction. However, with cuts to drug and alcohol funding expected to deepen, charitable fundraising activities have never been more important to continuing The Bridges’ life-changing work.
As Jess Bailey, The Bridges Treatment Manager, said recently: “Our success rate speaks for itself and the costs of sending someone to rehab are much lower than sending them to prison. But there will probably still be cuts to drug and alcohol budgets, so now it’s crucial that we rely on fundraising”.
This proven impact inspired Dr James Britton to take on the Humber Tri Challenge. “I have known of The Bridges for many years and the work they do, taking offenders with addiction and putting them through a programme to help them think differently and take control of their lives”, he said. “This is a world-class facility in Hull, supported by the local business community and fundraising is crucial.”
Team Bridges’ fundraising and publicity activities were coordinated by The Bridges’ Fundraising Advisory Group. Formed of local North Yorkshire residents and chaired by Simon Reevell, the Group holds regular fundraising events in aid of The Bridges, including the annual Quiz Night and Garden Party.