Charity challenges Scots to cycle for the environment

Scotland’s leading environmental campaigning charity is encouraging people from across Scotland to join a Fife Coastal Challenge bike ride in September.

Friends of the Earth Scotland is encouraging people to cycle 30 or 50 miles to raise funds for environmental campaigning on 5 September 2010.

Announcing the bike ride this week, staff member Davina Shiell, who is participating in the challenge, said:

“As the country celebrates UK Bike Week, right now is the perfect time for you to make a real difference and sign up to the Fife Coastal Challenge.

“I’ve signed up to do it myself and it will be a real challenge for me as it will be by far the longest distance I have ever cycled.

“As a small, independent Scottish charity, the money I raise is vital for Friends of the Earth Scotland’s campaigns to protect the environment.”

The event will start in Leuchars, taking in the beautiful coastline through St Andrews and Anstruther before looping back round to Leuchars.

The charity is urging people to sign up today as places are limited. Registration is £15 and the charity asks participants to raise a minimum of £150 in sponsorship.

For more information contact Zoë Furnivall on 0131 243 2700 or visit www.foe-scotland.org.uk/bikeride

ENDS

For media enquiries please contact:

Per Fischer, Press Office, Friends of the Earth Scotland t: 0131 243 2719

Notes to Editors

Bike Week 2010. Team Green Britain Bike Week is an annual opportunity to promote cycling and show how cycling can easily be part of everyday life. Demonstrating the social, health and environmental benefits of cycling, the week aims to get people to give cycling a go all over the UK. www.bikeweek.org.uk

Friends of the Earth Scotland exists to help people in Scotland look after the planet for everyone’s future. We think globally and act locally in Scotland, delivering solutions to climate change by enabling and empowering people to take both individual and collective action. We offer help to people with the big things in life – helping to sustain a healthy society and environment. We believe that all of our children’s futures will be better because of what we do. www.foe-scotland.org.uk