FUCHS UK:  DOING IT FOR KIDS IN KIEV

This year, FUCHS UK will be following in the famous footsteps of Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman, with two employees attempting to complete a gruelling 4000 mile round trip to Kiev in the Ukraine, in just 2 weeks, on the back of a motorbike!

But Norman Burgess and Richard Halhead haven’t gone insane; it's being done in the name of charity, with all proceeds raised going to the UNICEF Kids in Kiev appeal, which supports children who have been physically and emotionally affected by the Chernobyl disaster.

The event, which leaves the UK in June 2008, sees 19 riders travelling in convoy across several Northern European countries, including France, Germany, Italy, Austria and the Czech Republic. The idea was inspired by Ewan and Charley’s epic biking adventure, The Long Way Round, which saw the duo circumnavigating the world from London to New York in 115 days (20,000 miles through 12 countries), including a stop off in the Ukraine.

“It's going to be quite an adventure,” exclaims Norman, part of the FUCHS SILKOLENE sales team. “We are involved with a good group of enthusiastic bikers and hopefully we will raise a handsome amount of cash for the cause.”

The last event, in 2006, raised an astonishing £40,000 for UNICEF. The money supported a new residential centre in Kiev, which provides essential respite care for children suffering from leukaemia and thyroid cancer, and helped to open additional youth friendly drop in centres that provide anonymous HIV testing for young people.

The legacy of the Chernobyl power plant disaster in 1996 still affects the health, social, emotional and economic lives of more than 3.5m people, 1m of which are children. Many of the children today suffer from iodine deficiency, which causes goitre (enlargement of the thyroid gland, appearing as a swelling at the front of the neck) and learning difficulties. There has also been a reported increase in cancer among children in the area.

“I will be approaching all of my customers in the motorcycle trade looking for sponsorship”, continues Norman, “which is a sort of role reversal if you like, as FUCHS SILKOLENE has sponsored various competitors within motorcycle racing, such as the British Superbike and British Moto Cross championships for nearly 30 years.

“FUCHS SILKOLENE will be supporting the cause as much as possible and we will be providing all of the oil for the bikes, as well as sponsoring the jackets the riders will be wearing.”

Andrew Lawton, one of the event’s organisers, explains, “This will be extremely punishing, as well as a lot of fun, especially the leg where we ride from Rotterdam to Berlin in one day. We will need to do several ride outs in preparation, to practice the art of riding in a group and not getting lost!”

Although Norman is a seasoned rider; competing and winning several British road race titles, including the Isle of Man TT, Richard, Managing Director of FUCHS UK, has not ridden a motorbike for 7 years.

The journey to Kiev should be a conformable one though for Norman and Richard, as they will be riding the same bike as Ewan and Charlie did in both their Long Way Round and Long Way Down travels. The BMW R 1200 GS Adventure is the ultimate long-distance endurance motorcycle and has been tested on some of the world’s toughest routes to ensure that every journey, even your ride to work, is an adventure.

And you can win the very bike that will take Norman and Richard on their journey, so that you can go on your very own adventure. To enter this fantastic free competition and be in with a chance of winning, simply fill out the entry form and press enter.

Why not regularly check the Fuchs Bike Ride Weblog to see how the riders are doing. They have promised us regular updates before and during the trip and we will be doing all we can to hold them to that. You can also see and follow the route by viewing the route map page.

FUCHS UK would like to wish Norman, Richard and the other riders, the best of luck for their journey and hope that they raise a significant amount of money for such a good cause. If you would like to make a donation towards the biker’s appeal for children in the Ukraine, please contact the UNICEF fundraising team on fundraisinghelp@unicef.org.uk. Visit www.unicef.org.uk/longwaydown for further information.