Ashburton College school leaders (from left) Poppy Kilworth, Henry Chapman, Kyle Cabangun and Maria Costas are part of the 15 students taking part in the AshColl Student Exec 24 Hour Bike Challenge. Photo Jaime Pitt-MacKayWith lockdown behind them, Ashburton College’s students will give back to the community by testing out their endurance in a 24-hour cycling challenge next weekend.

A total of 15 students will take part in the challenge, which will see them take one-hour shifts on a spin bike in an attempt to raise funds for the Salvation Army.

Starting out the challenge at one of the student’s houses, they will then head to Countdown North where they will pedal away from 8am to 8pm.

Head girl Poppy Kilworth said they had seen other endurance challenges online during lockdown, and had wanted to combine that with fundraising for local services that had been working supporting the community during lockdown.

“We decided we wanted to do something for the essential workers during lockdown,” she said.

The idea initially started as a kilometre challenge, before they eventually decided on the cycling challenge.

Long Zoom calls starting about halfway through lockdown ensued as they planned the fundraiser.

“We’ve got a really mixed group of people so there are some that will be able to get through the hour easily and some that might struggle a bit,” she said.

The spin bikes have been donated by the EA Networks Centre for them to use, with the first section of the challenge at Kilworth’s house to be livestreamed before they complete the second half outside Countdown.

As well as collecting cash donations outside Countdown, they will also have an area for food donations, will be running a sausage sizzle and will also have a Givealittle page set-up.

“We will have the food donation area set up so if people can’t donate money they still might be able to donate a tin of spaghetti or something,” Kilworth said.

The senior leaders have taken on the task of the bike shifts in the early hours of the morning, while local MPs and school principal Ross Preece may even chip in with a stint on the bike.

The challenge will kick off from 8pm on Friday this week and will run until 8pm on Saturday.

By Jaime Pitt-MacKay © The Ashburton Guardian - 8 June 2020