A 136 mile ‘day out’ – An epic cycle to raise funds for Weldmar

Cycling the entire perimeter of Dorset, anticlockwise, in one day was the challenge Paul Stockley set himself. A total, of just over 136 miles! He undertook the challenge in memory of his Dad, Ian Stockley, who passed away a year ago under Weldmar’s care. He has raised an amazing amount of money in the process – upon finishing the cycle his online total was up to £1700, and it’s still rising with more still to collect from local sponsorship forms.

A challenging route

Ian loved the Dorset countryside having farmed it for over 50 years, which is why Paul planned such a scenic route, but although there were some terrific views along the way, there were also some serious challenges to overcome despite starting training in January, with Paul finding himself doing battle with sand as he cycled along a stretch of the coast.

“Along the sea front all the way down to Boscombe Pier, where it was windy all the sand blew up on to the promenade and as I was riding it got stuck in the chain, so I had to stop and clean it.”

He also found himself riding directly into the wind for 40 miles, which he said definitely made it harder.

One element of the cycle that didn’t pose a challenge though, was the Sandbanks ferry crossing, with luck and good timing on his side.

“It was perfect, just as I got there they were just shutting the gates, they waved me on and I just carried on riding straight on to the ferry!”

Like father, like son

Already a poignant occasion, Paul’s young son Noah joined him for the last 10 miles of the ride from Weymouth, who, apparently fuelled by all-important chicken nuggets and chips was ecstatic to pedal alongside his dad, both of them cycling into the In Patient Unit car park to the shouts, whoops, claps, and rattles of a delighted cheer team made up of friends, family, and Weldmar Hospicecare team members.

Paul completed a cycle in 2023 to fundraise for Weldmar, riding from Lands End to Dorchester in memory of his mum Elaine Stockley who had passed away a year before under Weldmar’s care, so Paul and his family have experienced first hand how important Weldmar’s care is to patients and their relatives.

Paul and Noah with Matt and Clare from Weldmar’s Fundraising Team

Is there any more cycling on the horizon?

While discussing the features of his bike, Paul pointed out the gears. “They’re battery operated, you only need to charge it once and it’ll last 3 months. It’ll last even longer now because I’m going to pack it away!”

He may have to rethink putting the bike away after some well-earned rest though, as after a few excited laps around the car park, an enthusiastic Noah stopped to ask: “Dad, can we ride home?”.

An absolutely fantastic effort, and a wonderful amount of money raised. Thank you, Paul.

If you would like to donate to Paul’s amazing cycling efforts, you can find his JustGiving page below.