Hi {FIRST NAME},

With a few weeks to go until the Canal Cycling Challenge, we will be sending you a weekly email (every Thursday) on the run up to the event. The emails will let you know more about what to expect on the day and how you can maximize your experience and fundraising.

It would be remiss of us not to start out with a thank you for signing up! Your event fee and fundraising go towards St Basils aim to make sure that vulnerable young people experiencing homelessness are supported and given the tools to live independently.

Every night, we support over 600 young people across the West Midlands in more than 40 supported accommodation schemes. But to be able to provide good, safe accommodation and the additional support needed, it costs us an extra £8.93 per young person, per day. This is where you come in; we literally couldn’t do what we do without you, our supporters who help us raise the money to do this. On behalf of us all at St Basils, thank you for taking part and helping us help young people.

We also need to thank our friends at the Canal and Rivers Trust who grant us permission to use their historic towpaths. Canals were the lifeblood of Victorian Birmingham and the Black Country, and this route allows you to take in the industrial north of the city centre, towards Wolverhampton.

We don’t use signage on this event, so you’ll be provide with a guide and/or GPX file (which you can use on your phone or GPS device, if you have one) nearer the event. Not only does this add to the challenge element, it also gives you the opportunity to take in more of your surroundings.

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Your Fundraising Page…

A fundraising page has been set up for you automatically following your registration to the Canal Cycling Challenge.

{VIEW PAGE}

If you haven’t done so already, we recommend adding a profile picture. Perhaps a picture of you and your bike!

To add your profile picture and to make changes to your page, follow the link below.

{MY REG LINK}

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That’s everything from us this week! In the meantime, if you have any questions about your fundraising page or about the event, please get in touch anytime by replying to this email or via: fundraising@stbasils.org.uk

Thank you,
Fundraising Team, St Basils

Hi {FIRST NAME},

Hopefully by now you’ve managed to set up your fundraising page, changed the photo to include you (and your bike) and started raising that all important cash to help us end youth homelessness in the region.

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Making the Most of Your Page

When signing up to the Canal Cycling Challenge, a personalised fundraising page is created for you. Here’s yours below…

{VIEW PAGE}

Last week, we recommened adding a profile picture. This could be of you, your bike… or you and your bike! Either way it’s a great addition to your page.

One feature we love on Enthuse is the ability to add your Strava account to your page. Once connected, you can share your training with your donors and let everyone know how you’re getting on. Here’s a great guide on how it works and how you can get started. 

Finally, do you have friends taking part too? Don’t be afraid to get a little competitive! In both your training and Your fundraising. Here’s why…

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Win a Yellow Jersey

Eddy Merckx, Chris Froome…you?

Forget the Tour de France, you could be the winner of the inaugural St Basils yellow jersey. The cyclist who raises the most money will be crowned the winner of the prestigious Yellow Jersey and will be awarded it at the start of the event. You have until the evening before the Canal Cycle Challenge (ie 10^th May) to wrangle as many donations as possible – which is why having a great looking Enthuse page really will help.

The winner of the jersey will be informed the night before so they can turn up to receive their accolade and pose for photos before taking part in the challenge.

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That’s everything from us this week! In the meantime, if you have any questions about your fundraising page or about the event, please get in touch anytime by replying to this email or via: fundraising@stbasils.org.uk

(Signed up this week? Check out our previous supporter mailers, here.)

Thanks,

Fundraising Team, St Basils.

Hi {FIRST NAME},

With less than a month to go now before the Canal Cycle Challenge, we’re getting excited – and we hope you are too.

We were looking back on some of the feedback from last year’s event, and this quote from Martin, who took part along with his friends, really stood out;

“I didn’t realise how much fun we would have, taking part in the St Basils Canal Cycle Challenge to raise money for this charity. Most of my friends can ride and have mountain bikes, as keeping fit and healthy is important to us all. 

“All in all, we enjoyed the route, each other’s company, and the challenge.  And not forgetting the reason we wanted to get involved in the first place – to support St Basils, by raising money so they can continue to do the great work in supporting the homeless.”

Maybe this can inspire you to tell your supporters on your Enthuse page {VIEW PAGE} why you’re taking part and which bits you’re looking forward to.

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Food & Refreshments

The other thing a few people have started asking about is refreshments – and it wouldn’t be a cyclist event if they didn’t! We have the Coffee Cart coming in the morning, so you can get some fresh, proper coffee or a cuppa tea before you head off.

There are plenty of spots to stop along the route, but don’t fill up too much as there’s curry waiting for you at the end of the ride. The Longhorn (Sutton Rd, WS5 3AR) and The Boathouse (Park Rd, WS4 1LG) are located not too far from the canal if you want somewhere to stop mid-route. If you’re doing the shorter cycle, then there’s also Champy’s (Pleck Rd, WS2 9HE); the longer cycle has The Bridge Tavern (Bentley Lane, WV12 4AA) and Old Chainyard (Castle Street, WV14 9DW). There are, of course, plenty more places, but these are right on the canal.

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That’s everything from us this week! In the meantime, if you have any questions about your fundraising page or about the event, please get in touch anytime by replying to this email or via: fundraising@stbasils.org.uk

(Signed up this week? Check out our previous supporter mailers, here.)

Thanks,

Fundraising Team, St Basils.

Hi {FIRST NAME},

We’re finally starting to see some sunshine in Birmingham, and we hope it’s here to stay a while – or at least until the Canal Challenge is done.

If you’ve been reading the newsletters for the last few weeks, you’ll know we’ve been given you some tips on how to encourage friends and family to support your fundraising efforts. But did you know a lot of workplaces will support your charitable endeavours too?

Match funding is when an organisation agrees to donate the same amount as you have raised for a charity, which means you can double your impact – and be closer to that yellow jersey. Lots of different organisations offer this – it’s worth checking with your manager or corporate social responsibility team. And don’t forget to add it to your fundraising page.

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If you’re concerned about punctures or issues with your bike on the Canal Cycle Challenge, then let us introduce you to our partners Gear Up. They’re an independent bike shop based in Birmingham, and they will be on hand to help with any mishaps that happen. We’re particularly proud to partner with them as they are a social enterprise who share our mission of working with vulnerable young people to help them help themselves to improve their lives. For more information on their work, visit Gear Up’s website.

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That’s everything from us this week! In the meantime, if you have any questions about your fundraising page or about the event, please get in touch anytime by replying to this email or via: fundraising@stbasils.org.uk

(Signed up this week? Check out our previous supporter mailers, here.)

Thanks,

Fundraising Team, St Basils.