Head coach of Auchengeich Boxing Club gets on his bike to raise cash for cancer charity

Joe Martin from Moodiesburn is cycling 200 miles with his friend Colin McGeechan to raise funds jointly to help in the fights against prostate cancer and for Auchengeich Amateur Boxing Club in Stepps.

They plan to take on the challenge on Saturday, May 29, leaving from outside the club at 6am and finishing at the Coachman Hotel in Kilsyth around 13 hours later.

They will have some friendly company the last 30-50 miles with members of the RCCK cycling club in Cumbernauld and Kilsyth.

Joe has set up a crowdfunding page – and the team have stormed past their target of £500 – with the fund standing at £4,420 on Sunday night... and counting.

Joe said: “The past year has been extremely hard for small businesses and sports clubs alike.

"Auchengeich Boxing Club has been a club helping the local community for the past 45 years with the custodians of the club before me facing their own challenges.

"But we as a club have been faced with no income yet the bills associated with the club have still been paid. Unfortunately we haven’t qualified for any funding since we have had our doors closed since last March.”

He added: I’ve decided to set myself a challenge and at the same time raise some funds for the club and hopefully raise money for a very worthwhile cause, Prostate Cancer.

2I decided to try cycling for the first time two years ago as a result of having the local cycling club RCCK Cumbernauld and Kilsyth in to the gym during the winter months for the past six years to keep themselves fit as they can’t cycle as often as they would in the summer.

"Over the past two years I’ve managed a few 100-mile runs. I’m now going to take it up a notch and attempt to ride 200 miles on my own, with a few of my cycling club mates joining me for parts of the ride. I’ll also have a support van with a spare bike and food for the trip.

“The donations will help the club survive for the community and at the same time hopefully go some way to ending this horrible disease.”

Visit https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/joe-martin-334