Cyclists rolled into Swindon on a mission to recognise rotarians for more than 1,700 hours of support for Covid vaccination programme at Steam.

The four cyclists from Pin Your Thanks… The People’s Medal are cycling 700 miles from Edinburgh to the London area to present special badges to those who have shown support during the Covid pandemic.

They are led by Paul Reddish of Community Service Volunteers who is riding tandem with his blind father, Tim.

Paul said “We have over 20,000 volunteers across the country who have helped provide a range of services to people affected by the pandemic and the related restrictions. It’s important to show our appreciation for the dedication shown and this trip has been bringing a smile to those we are visiting. It’s been an amazing journey”.

President of the Rotary Club of Swindon, Debbie Vincent, was up early with her team on Sunday morning to meet the cyclists. “Thirty members have been supporting the work at Steam with over 1700 hours donated. It has been a joy to be able to be part of this vital initiative. Without volunteers the whole vaccination process would not have been possible. The visit by the cyclists was exciting and has been great boost to everyone, we will be making a donation to them at the end of my year in office.”

As an e-Rotarian, Shirley Ludford welcomed the team. She said “This is a simple but very personal way of recognising the efforts of those who readily give their time. It was also lovely to meet Tim who is a great advocate of inclusivity, something we actively promote at SWINDON 105.5 – and something else we had in common is that he is also a Deputy Lieutenant, of his county. There are so many people doing amazing things and so many reasons to feel proud.”