Local architects cycle that extra mile for hospital charity

Six Ipswich architects are putting their bodies and their bikes to the test in the hope of raising much needed funds for Ipswich Hospital.

The team from award-winning KLH Architects, based in Copdock, have signed up for the London to Paris Cycle Ride and will hope to complete the challenge in just three days.

KLH Architects employees, Ben Moore, Tom Bryce, Andy Garnham, Bryan Wybrow and company directors, Martyn Goodwin and Robert Keeble, will be setting off from London on Thursday September 3 with hopes of reaching Paris by Saturday.

The London to Paris Cycle Ride is an annual charity bike ride organised by Action for Charity. Participants choose between a 3 or 4 day cycle itinerary covering distances of 290 or 395 miles respectively.

The team are aiming to raise £2000 for The Ipswich Hospital charity, which has been set up to raise much needed funds to improve the level of care to patients above and beyond that currently possible through public funding from the Department of Health.

In preparation for the mammoth task ahead project architect, Bryan Wybrow, has undertaken a demanding training programme involving cycling to and from his home in Felixstowe and the KLH offices in Copdock, Ipswich, regular spinning classes and cross country bike rides.

Bryan, said “We’ve been in training for 6 months now, it’s a great team to be part of; really supportive of one another, the cause and the company.”

Director Martyn Goodwin, added: “We’re all pretty nervous about the challenge ahead of us, the three days are definitely going to be a struggle but I’m confident that it will also be a fantastic and memorable experience for the team. The cause is a very personal one to KLH Architects; we’ve done a lot of work for Ipswich Hospital in past years and currently we’re designing the hospitals new Oncology Department. We hope that our three days of suffering will go a long way to providing much needed care.”

KLH Architects decision to enter the London to Paris Cycle Ride comes after the team’s success in last year’s Snowdon Charity Challenge, a multi-activity race involving participants cycling 40 miles, climbing Snowdon and canoeing Lake Llyn. The firms efforts raised approximately £2000 for ‘Regain’, a charity dedicated to improving the lives of people with tetraplegia resulted from sporting or leisure accidents.

Anyone who wishes to donate can do so by visiting www.justgiving.com/KLH-LondonParis

KLH Architects is an RIBA chartered practice which provide design, planning and project management expertise in healthcare, residential, commercial and leisure development in East Anglia and London.

They recently won an award for their work on the restoration of Ipswich Regent, have designed the new Two Rivers Medical Centre on Woodbridge Road and are the creative team behind the Broomhill swimming pool bid.