My Birthday Presents…

17 Oct My Birthday Presents…

Posted at 07:27h in Pedal 360 Archive by

On the 21st of October I will be 29 and I hope my birthday presents the opportunity to help raise awareness for the cause I am cycling for. I am not a fan of the video montage of starving children to pull at heart strings followed by Davina MacCall’s and Bono’s of the world preaching to us all about the plights of the third world and of our need to peel ourselves from our selfish worlds for one act of random generosity, but my priviledged life has been at the mercy of random, kind strangers for the last 4 months and this is my opportunity to offer something back…

I have been welcomed into a house in Serbia where they turned on the electricity so they could offer me a warm shower, I have been cooked breakfast by people living in mud huts with barely anything to offer and people walking home from buying their shopping have offered me things that I doubt they could spare to give away. With a budget of only 10 Euro’s a day, I am still wealthier than most of the people I pass every day, the people who give to me. These people live in Europe. My experiences have put into perspective the fact that at home I considered myself broke when I would struggle to afford a night out or buy some new jeans…

Donating to the Derbyshire Children’s Holiday Centre gives abused or neglected children from my home in England the opportunity for a week of positive experiences to reflect on and help them through daily life. They are given the things that I have realised to be so important to me over the last 4 months, a good meal, clean clothes, love, support, encouragement, opportunity and friends.

I know the ball-ache of spending time to give your money away and I am no stranger to procrastination, but please can I set the date of my birthday to take 5 minutes to click on the JustGiving link on my website and donate the price of a couple of pints that maybe we would share if I was at home. This does not excuse those who read this after my birthday, get on with it! Consider it an investment in better blogging…

Rant over, now click on the link. Thanks!

Leigh



  • Wow. Utterly, wow. Leigh certainly was inspirational and indeed such a breath of fresh air, he created such a buzz around the school. I was impressed by not only the attendance of staff and parents, but the volume of students who came along. Thank you – Leigh really has touched and motivated a lot of our students

    Roberta Keys, Deputy Headteacher, Malvern College

  • It’s was a real honour to partner with Leigh, he’s such an inspirational person and a great business speaker. The aim of the session was for delegates to leave in a positive, can do frame of mind, feeling confident that they can use some of Leigh’s tips to bolster team spirit, harness potential and exceed expectations. This is something I’m confident the event achieved

    Mary Maguire, MD, Astute Recruitment

  • Leigh delivered one of the most professional and engaging talks at the festival this year. It was clear that Leigh had put a lot of thought into what he wanted to convey in his talk, carefully pulling out the key stories and themes from all his years on the road. Leigh's talk was engaging throughout and delivered with a real sense of humility.

    Laura Moss, Cycle Touring Festival Organiser

  • When we invited Leigh to present to our staff about his experiences in creating a support echo system and team to help him break a world record, we never imagined that it would have had such a positive impact on everyone who attended. Leigh influenced, motived and inspired our staff to be the better version of themselves and gave them guidance and the tools to achieve this individually and within a team environment

    Steve Reynolds, CEO, TBS Mobility

  • The TEDxRNCM audience were utterly captured through Leigh’s account. This wasn’t just an account however, but an experience. Eloquently delivered but with real personality, Leigh gave inspiration, insight, enjoyment and even humour - a talk I won’t be forgetting for a long time

    Hayley Parkes, TEDx Event Organiser

  • Leigh articulates his passion and learning so well that his enthusiasm and motivation transcends the world of sport and is relevant for physical, psychological and organisational wellness and performance. He is a truly phenomenal speaker and comes highly recommended

    Deputy Chief Constable, East Midlands Special Operations Unit

  • Leigh delivered a fantastic presentation during our Global Health and Wellbeing day. We had a lot of positive feedback from his inspirational talk which definitely raised the profile of mental health within our organisation. Leigh is an inspiration to everyone

    David Wilson, Global Head of Health and Wellbeing, Victrex

  • The young people of Kingsmead School are generally from disadvantaged backgrounds and have low aspirations for their future. Leigh held the attention of the young people superbly, he was entertaining and funny and the pupils engagement was not lost at all. I would heartily recommend Leigh and his inspirational story to anyone, it left pupils and staff inspired and awestruck.

    Huw Lloyd, Assistant Headteacher, Kingsmead School

  • Leigh is a natural communicator, using humour and his modest personality, Leigh's account of his fascinating experiences was delivered in a completely natural way that immediately connected with both the students and the teachers.

    Claire Tresidder, Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School Ashbourne Academy


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