Riders complete holiday centre charity cycle challenge

A group of cyclists have raised thousands of pounds for Derbyshire Children’s Holiday Centre after completing a 100-mile cycling challenge.

A group of 70 cyclists recently pedalled from Ockbrook, in Derbyshire, to the holiday centre in Skegness, on the Lincolnshire coast, for the SkegVegas100 challenge.

They were waved off from The Queen’s Head pub by the newly appointed High Sheriff of Derbyshire, Theresa Peltier, along with charity chairman Alan Grimadell.

Among the cyclists were Derby couple Kaye and Dan Donovan.

For Kaye, 41, it was a personal goal to get back into the saddle as it was the first 100-mile bike ride the keen cyclist had undertaken since 2018 – having been treated twice for breast cancer since then.

Having been through years of operations and chemotherapy, Kaye – who only took up serious cycling with her husband in 2016 – said she had enjoyed getting her fitness back this year to train for the ride.

She said: “The care I have received has been second to none. It’s just been absolutely amazing. The hardest thing has been when I was treated during Covid, Dan couldn’t be there with me.

“The ride went really well. We were in the first group of 30 that arrived in Skegness.

“When we got to the holiday centre, the staff were so incredible. That’s what we do it for. The staff were so grateful to us for doing the ride, but we just think it’s the least we can do.”

The High Sheriff of Derbyshire, Theresa Peltier, said she had heard of the good work of the Derbyshire Children’s Holiday Centre and, with her personal experience of adoption, knew how important something like a five-day break by the seaside could be for the children who go.

She said: “I understand how something that’s just giving a child a holiday that they may not have experienced before, and that takes them out of an environment that may not always be great for them, these are the things that stay with them.

“These are the things that enhance their wellbeing and maybe just give them a little bit of support.”

The Derbyshire Children’s Holiday Centre has been going for 132 years and pays for five day stays in Skegness for children who might not otherwise get a break.

Mr Grimadell said: “This was the 10th anniversary of the SkegVegas100 ride, and it was brilliant to see so many riders there in 2023 – nearly double last year’s number.

“They’ve managed to raise nearly £8,000 which is an amazing total, but it would be great to see even more support for our charity which does amazing things for the children we look after.

“I’d like to congratulate all our riders for putting in hours of training to completing the 100 miles distance from Derby to Skegness. Their efforts are enormously appreciated.”

People can still support the SkegVegas100 bike ride by visiting