By Ciaran Greenwood
A FATHER-OF-TWO from Dukinfield has cycled 60 miles for his 60th birthday to raise money for Willow Wood Hospice.
Ian Saxon, who retired in 2023 after 40 years working in environmental services at Tameside Council, peddled around the Greater Manchester area in support of his local hospice.
Ian, accompanied by his friends and family, started their ride at the iTrain gym in Dukinfield before traversing throughout Manchester, passing down the Fallowfield Loop, around Manchester Airport, and making their way past Jodrell Bank, Poynton and Romiley.
Instead of receiving gifts for his birthday, Ian asked people to donate to the hospice, based in Ashton-under-Lyne. After his fantastic efforts on Saturday, March 9, over £1,200 has been raised so far.
Ian, who also has a granddaughter, said: “I always had a bike as a child. I’ve got very fond memories of cycling as a kid, and then I probably lost a little bit of interest whilst I was at university, but I soon got back into it and probably since then I’ve cycled continuously.”
Experienced cyclist Ian has always felt a connection to the hospice and has supported Willow Wood in the past, by previously peddling 50 miles for his 50th birthday and 40 miles for his 40th birthday.
Ian elaborated on his cycling adventures: “We’ve done some quite long trips. We’ve done Land’s End to John O’Groats twice. When I retired, my friend and I took a ride which we called from Home to Rome.”
As for Ian’s reasons for supporting the hospice, he explained: “Someone described it to me, which really resonated with me, as Willow Wood for local people is something like a life insurance policy that you hope you never need to claim on.
“But if you need it, you need it local and we all need it to be there. We just hope we never need to use it. So that’s kind of stuck with me, and I know the value of it locally.”
Ian didn’t do his fundraiser alone and he is grateful for the support he received.
“I want to thank my wife Mandy and our friend Bev for making coffee and sandwiches for everyone, as well as my friend and former colleague Steve Giblin for coming to take some photos.”
Lucy Ta’ati, Community Fundraiser at Willow Wood Hospice, commented: “We are incredibly grateful to Ian for his support to Willow Wood Hospice with his fantastic fundraiser. Donations are a valuable part of supporting the work the Hospice does, and support in any way is greatly appreciated. Well done, Ian!”
Anyone who wants more information about Ian’s fundraiser or wishes to donate can visit https://www.justgiving.com/page/ian-saxon-3.