Ilkley cyclist to visit every lighthouse in Britain for charity

Architect Matthew Sturgeon from Ilkley is undertaking a cycling challenge to visit all the lighthouses in mainland Britain in support of the charity A Bit of a Break. The charity, founded by Matthew’s late wife Angela, provides holidays for individuals with terminal illnesses.

Having already visited 100 out of the 186 lighthouses on his list, Matthew has raised thousands of pounds for the cause. Angela, who passed away in 2016 from ovarian cancer, had previously raised over £42,000 for Target Ovarian Cancer before establishing her own charity. Matthew’s project, initiated in 2019, is now expected to take four years instead of the initially planned two years.

Accompanied by his partner Jane Dacombe and other participants, Matthew utilizes social media and an email group to invite others to join him on his rides, aiming to involve as many people as possible in his fundraising efforts.