Manchester duo cycle 1800km to raise £10,000 for Carers Trust and The Brain Tumour Charity
Ollie Rogerson, and his friend Danny Rose from Manchester have completed a gruelling challenge in memory of Ollie’s dad, Carl, for charity. The pair, who have been friends since school arrived Etihad Stadium after cycling 1800km in just ten days to raise a total of nearly £8,400 so far for Carers Trust and The Brain Tumour Charity.
Their epic journey, dubbed ‘Le Tour de Carl’, remembered Ollie’s much-loved father, Carl Rogerson, who was an avid Man City fan, born and raised in Manchester but Carl sadly died at the age of 58. Before the challenge, Ollie and Danny, both 29, were novice cyclists, having only taken it up as a hobby in the last year.
Ollie says: “My father Carl was a kind and generous man, and a dedicated Man City fan, who loved his friends and family above all things. He was committed to public service and served in the RAF for 15 years.” However, in August of 2018, Carl was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour and given only 15 months to live. His condition meant that it was left to his son, Ollie, daughter-in-law and a close family friend to care for him.
Ollie continues: “We all learnt just how big of an impact diagnosis such as this has, not just on diagnosed but on those closest to them too. It can be incredibly stressful and exhausting as the person you are caring for becomes the centre of your life, which brings its own challenges which, I don’t think, are well understood outside of people who have really been through it.
The duo set off from Lake Geneva on Saturday 25 September and arrived at the Etihad Stadium on 4 October taking in Paris and London on the way, also visiting a couple of Manchester houses Carl lived in. Ollie says: “It’s been a very rewarding ten days, we’ve visited places important to my Dad on the way to Manchester. Very grateful to people who’ve generously sponsored us so far – we’re very close to our target of £10,000.
“For me, I love my Dad dearly and there was never any question that I would’ve been anywhere else during his illness, I cared for him and held his hand at the end. I’m incredibly proud of the care we gave Dad - we managed to have lots and lots of fun along the way, despite his illness, COVID and everything else. However, none of that means that it wasn’t also an incredibly difficult time. Juggling work, my own life around Dad’s needs was at times incredibly stressful and I was so fortunate to have the support of my wife and family friends.
Danny, who lives in Manchester said: “I’m incredibly proud that we’ve managed to complete the journey in Carl’s name, and raise so much for two incredible causes. To share this experience with Ollie has been a once in a lifetime honour, he was unbelievably determined and positive throughout, and I know that Carl will be looking down now with immense pride. I’ve been blown away by everyone’s generosity, we’ve received donations from friends, family, people we haven’t seen in years, people we’ve never met and others that we met along the ride itself. I am eternally grateful for everyone who has supported us, the Brain Tumour Charity and Carers Trust.”
Carers Trust works to improve support, services and recognition for anyone living with the challenges of caring, unpaid, for a family member or friend who is ill, frail, disabled or has mental health or addiction problems. Svetlana Kirov, Director of Fundraising for Carers Trust said, “We are really grateful to Ollie and Danny for taking on this huge challenge, and their supporters for making this possible. The money raised will help to support more unpaid family carers, who care for friends and family members with all types of health conditions.”
The Brain Tumour Charity is the UK’s largest dedicated brain tumour charity, committed to fighting brain tumours on all fronts, funding pioneering research and providing support. Tom Horsfield, Community Fundraiser for The Brain Tumour Charity, said: “It’s been an absolute pleasure and privilege to support Ollie and Danny throughout their challenge.
“They’re both an inspiration to everyone at The Brain Tumour Charity, and we’re delighted to see them complete the feat after many months of planning and organisation. They’ve overcome all challenges thrown at them along the way, and have gone on to raise a phenomenal amount in memory of Carl – we’re in awe of the achievement.
“We are leading the way in fighting brain tumours on all fronts through our work.
“We receive no government funding and rely 100% on voluntary donations, so it’s only through the efforts of people like Ollie and Danny that we can change these shocking statistics in the future and bring hope to the thousands of people who are diagnosed with a brain tumour every year.”
If you are looking after someone who could not get by without you please visit Carers.org for local support in Manchester, TheBrainTumourCharity.org to find out more about the UK’s largest brain tumour charity.
Help Ollie and Danny reach their £10,000 total by donating here.