Hospice Volunteer cycles from London to Paris to support patients care

Debbie Whitfield, from Cambridge, has been a volunteer for Arthur Rank Hospice Charity since 2023. She kindly volunteers in the Bistro and on the main reception at the Hospice.

She and her husband, Seamus Doherty, signed up to cycle from London to Paris in July 2026, for the Charity. Debbie shared her connection to hospice care:

“In October 2014 my mother passed away in a hospice in London. She had spent the previous five months seriously ill in a large London hospital, being looked after by staff who were caring but under stress.

The hospice care felt much more relaxed and directly focused on my mum’s needs. Her friends and family were able to visit her in a caring environment. She died feeling loved.”

She continued with her experience of Arthur Rank Hospice Charity:

“In 2019 we regularly visited my next door neighbour who was receiving end of life care at the Inpatient Unit at Arthur Rank Hospice in Cambridge. Another dear friend of mine received Hospice at Home care from the Charity at the end of his life in 2022.”

Debbie explained more about her motivation for volunteering at the Hospice:

“In 2023 I wanted to give something back. I felt working as a volunteer at Arthur Rank Hospice Charity was a way to remember my mum and my friends who had received hospice support.

I learnt that as well as Inpatient hospice care and Hospice at Home, Arthur Rank Hospice Charity also provided Living Well Services for those patients living with life-limiting conditions, all free of charge. Care and support also extended to patients’ families to help them through challenging times in their lives. I wanted to help in the provision of all these services to patients and their families across Cambridgeshire.

As part of my volunteering, I saw first hand the difference that the Charity makes to people, whether they are Inpatients or friends and family. It is a joyful and celebratory place to be and I want to help this vital resource to continue.”

Debbie added why she signed up for the London to Paris Cycle challenge:

“Myself and my husband are now both retired and 2026 is a significant year for us. Although we are both currently well, we have friends and family who have life threatening conditions that will require end of life and palliative care. We would want them to receive that care in a hospice. We also remember the friends and family who have passed in recent years.

When an email arrived [about the London to Paris Cycle Challenge] from Arthur Rank Hospice Charity we thought, what a better way to celebrate those family and friends – by raising money for this fantastic local Charity, by doing an activity we both enjoy and cycling the 271 miles from London to Paris!

“Seamus and I signed up for this challenge to raise funds for Arthur Rank Hospice Charity in August 2025 – almost a year before the event.

It all seemed very daunting – I had never ridden that far before, but my personal concerns were small when I thought about the wonderful services provided locally by this fantastic charity.

Debbie shared her fundraising concerns:

October 2025 was a terrible month for the Charity, with the announcement that Cambridge University Hospital (CUH) at Addenbrookes Hospital will be withdrawing over £800,000 funding from 2026. In these dark days fundraising takes on an even more important aspect. I set out to raise at least £2,300 for the Charity but was hoping for much more.”

“The thought of cycling from London to Paris over four days felt quite daunting then but not as daunting as the fundraising!”

Determined to achieve their goals, Debbie and Seamus became inventive with their fundraising activities:

“We arranged a ‘Disco Fever Revisited’ event in March 2026, at Mill Road Community Centre and we asked people to join us and share the information to help raise funds.”

“In April 2026 we organised and hosted our Art 4 Arthur Event, where artists, kindly donated their art for us to exhibit and sell.” 

You can hear Seamus and Debbie talking more about the event on Radio 105 here.(opens in new tab)

“Through the support of family, friends and the Fundraising Events Team at Arthur Rank Hospice Charity, we managed to reach our initial fundraising goal! So much so that we were able to increase our target a couple of months before we undertook the ride.”

Although Debbie and Seamus were no strangers to cycling around Cambridge, they carefully planned some training rides:

“We knew the challenge was just under 300 miles cycling, spread over four days. We had never ridden that far before and looking at the route profile we were concerned about some of the big hills, not something that had been an issue for us cycling around Cambridge!

We did training rides taking in the rolling hills around Saffron Walden and North Essex. Those hills didn’t fully prepare us for the longer inclines on the actual challenge but thankfully, our bikes had sufficient gears and with a lot of grit and determination we got through.”

The challenge began on Wednesday 22 July 2026. Debbie shared her experiences:

“In all there were 92 riders taking part in the challenge from across the country. The whole challenge was brilliantly organised by Discover Adventure(opens in new tab).

There were water breaks each day and the lunches on route were exceptional. Accommodation was all pre-arranged and our baggage ferried in vans between stops. There were two bike mechanics on call in case of any breakdowns, plus two doctors – we were well looked after. As the organisers said “All you have to do is cycle.”

Each of the challenge days brought their own memories:

Day one – We rode 90 miles from Blackheath in London to Dover, onto the ferry and an additional six miles from Calais to the hotel – this was the longest route.

The ride was going well until we came to a steep, single track, with pot-holes and gravel. About ten miles from Dover, Seamus took a really bad fall and was cut and shaken.

Luckily an event van arrived and was able to take us and our bikes into Dover to make sure we could get the ferry on time. The fall also meant that on doctor’s advice Seamus did not ride on day two.

Day two was amazing. The French villages on the 74 mile route between Calais and Abbeville were beautiful.

Day three Seamus was able to ride again, on the 67 miles through the Somme Valley from Abbeville to Beauvais. It was poignant to cycle through this area where so many young lives were lost during the First World War.

Day four we were all a bit tired but also excited that we were on the final leg. The route, over 50 miles from Beauvais into Paris, was the shortest but had the longest and highest climbs and the stress of dealing with the busy traffic in the city.

The organisers had told us that they hoped that our journey through Paris would include riding up the Champs Elysees and around the Arc de Triomphe. So, we ended our adventure cycling those iconic places a day in advance of the Tour de France peloton.”

Debbie shared the proud feeling of elation as they completed their incredible challenge:

“It was an incredibly memorable and emotional experience. The organising team blocked off roads so that we could all ride as a group, a peloton of charity fundraisers, with locals, cycling fans and tourists filming and cheering us on, while wondering “Who are they”?!

Our adventure finished at the Trocadero, with its views down to the Eiffel Tower. As we rounded the final corner there were cheers and tears from friends and family waiting to greet many of the cyclists.”

Debbie shared motivations of the group:

“It was only on the final day that we found out the reasons many of the cyclists were doing this ride. Most people were raising money for different charities, some big national charities, other small local charities and many with deeply personal and emotional stories that had inspired them to take part. Lots of us wore our charity cycle jerseys.”

Once home and after a good night’s sleep Debbie reflected:

“On the morning of the first day, as we stood at 7am on Blackheath Common, apprehensive of the challenges ahead, the Tour Leader said “How lucky are you to be able to do something like this?”

As we sit at home with so many memories of an amazing four days, how true those words seem.”

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“So far our challenge has managed to raise over £6,000 for our much loved Arthur Rank Hospice Charity. If after reading this you feel moved to sponsor us please visit our sponsorship page: https://arhclondontoparis26.enthuse.com/pf/debbie-whitfield(opens in new tab)

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