Leeds and Liverpool Canal cycle for Blackburn hospital radio

Andrew Graham and his colleague, Kyle Spiller, will be cycling the 127-mile length of the Leeds and Liverpool canal on Saturday, June 22.

Andrew, who has been the chair of Radio Hospitals Blackburn since 2019, and Kyle will start in Leeds on Saturday morning and finish in Liverpool later on the same day.

The winding route will take them through stunning countryside and across the Pennines, winding through East Lancashire's towns before heading to Merseyside and the finish at Stanley Dock.

The Leeds and Liverpool Canal as it passes through Barnoldswick

He said: “Due to Covid we’ve lost quite a lot of funds, so this is the idea I had.

“I’ve not had major cycling experience before so this is a big challenge to do. I can ride a bike but I’ve not done anything big like this for a while.”

A fundraising page set up by Andrew is aiming to raise £500 to help maintain the studios, which provide entertainment to patients during their stay in hospital.

A description on the page says: “Our mission is to relieve sickness, infirmity and old age amongst persons living in the area covered by Blackburn, Darwen, Burnley, Hyndburn, Ribble Valley and surrounding areas by providing a local broadcasting service.

“In current times we also help connect loved ones who can't see their families whilst in hospital and help with the mental health of those at home worried about their family members in hospital.”

Constructed between 1770 and 1816, the historic Leeds and Liverpool Canal passes through several East Lancashire towns, including Barnoldswick, Nelson, Burnley, Oswaldtwistle and Blackburn.

The section in East Lancs includes the Foulridge Tunnel, which is almost a mile in length, and is the longest tunnel in the country that allows canoes and kayaks to pass through, and the 16th longest canal tunnel in England.

To donate towards Andrew and Kyle’s challenge, search for Radio Hospitals Blackburn on GoFundMe.