Saturday 24th July 2004
Over 20 students from Kingdown Community College, Warminster, are going to China in August 2004 as part of the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme. Not only is it the first time China has been chosen as a destination in the scheme, it will be the first time anyone has involved bicycles.
The students, who are aged 17 to 19, won’t be cycling there and back though! They will go by plane, via Paris, and of the two weeks in China, five days will be dedicated to cycling and camping under canvas.
They will be accompanied by three members of staff, namely Sarah Jackson, Annette Storm and Nick Trimby. The cost of the jaunt has been met largely by home-grown fundraising such as cake stalls and bingo nights at the school.
To gain experience, each student has had to spend two out of three organised weekends cycling and camping but not quite so far away. Tilshead and the New Forest have been the closer-to-home places they have been to.
All the students are looking forward to the real thing though. It will turn out to be the longest distance any of them will have travelled and the trip is sure to instill memories that will last a lifetime.
Our photo shows some of the students who are going to China for a cycling sojourn. They are pictured outside the main entrance to Kingdown Community College, prior to cycling to Tilshead for a camping weekend to gain experience in preparation for the real thing in the summer. Among the two-wheelers are Sarah Jackson and Annette Storm (adult leaders), Emma Palmer, Poppy Shingleton, Alex Boxley, Robert Stacey, Thierry Davies, Jack Woods, Jamie Robbins, Simone Giles and Danielle Giles.
Report and Photograph by Danny Howell.