OUR PARTNERS
Bike Shed is working with a number of partners to make this event happen. The Smuggler is a non-commercial event with any profits made going to our charity partners. We’d also like to thank Barnstaple Town Centre Management for helping us make this event a reality.
We have chosen to partner with British Cycling to ensure the event is run as safely and secure as possible, riders will be in good hands, both through their easy and secure entry system and on the day through their great insurance scheme.
Thanks again for your support in making this event happen.
WHY ARE WE PARTNERING WITH FORCE Cancer Charity?
FORCE Cancer Charity supports North Devon residents every day.
Cancer brings about drastic change in people’s lives and hearing that you or someone close to you has cancer is a hugely traumatic experience. A diagnosis is accompanied by a range of different emotions which can prove challenging to face alone.
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Open every weekday, FORCE’s Support and Information Centre offers a relaxed and comfortable setting where you can seek information, advice and discuss your needs. You do not need a referral, which means you can call in when it’s convenient to you.
In it’s first year the Centre received over 9,000 visits – nearly double the original projection. Today this has risen to 15,500 and the Centre was extended during 2012 to help manage future development.
All services within the Centre are funded by FORCE, so there is no charge to you.
WHO EXACTLY ARE FORCE?
FORCE (Friends of the Oncology and Radiotherapy Centre, Exeter) was first registered as a charity in 1987 when two appeals (the Selectron Appeal and Home Oncology Programme Exeter) merged.
In 1991 FORCE appointed a clinical research assistant, and it was this post which became the foundation for the highly successful clinical research programme at the Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital today.
FORCE grew steadily through the 1990s and in 1997 the Charity appointed its first Oncology Support Specialist.
At the turn of the millennium FORCE raised over £500,000 for the first time and the following year an appeal was launched to build a purpose built cancer support and information centre for anyone affected by cancer.
After a 3 year appeal the Centre opened in September 2004 thanks to over £900,000 raised by local people and the tireless work of our fund-raising team.
Despite many years of growth and change FORCE has never lost sight of it’s origins and the fact that anyone diagnosed with cancer deserves the best possible support and treatment close to home.
WHERE WILL YOUR HARD PEDALLED PENNIES GO?
The work FORCE does relies entirely on voluntary contributions, with 1/3 of it’s income coming from events like The Smuggler. Without people like you FORCE wouldn’t exist.
FORCE now has a designated fund to continue purchasing state of the art equipment to improve cancer treatment. A grant of £70,000 from FORCE has recently purchased Delta 4 to facilitate IMRT (intensity modulated radiotherapy) at the Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust.
The reality is that everyone knows someone affected by cancer and if they live in this area, their treatment will almost certainly have been advanced by the work of FORCE.
Please dig deep and help this truly worthwhile work continue. It is helping lives all across N Devon, as this testimonial clearly shows:
“Little did I know when I first fundraised for FORCE aged 16 that twenty years later I would be on the receiving end of the amazing support services when I was diagnosed with cancer. I can honestly say that the FORCE centre and the wonderful people who work there have been a ‘shining light’ throughout my treatment and I really don’t know how I would have ‘come out the other side’ well and happy without FORCE’s support. Thank you for taking care of me, giving me emotional support, making me endless cups of tea, connecting me to new ‘friends’ and providing me with a free bag of incredible beauty products. We, in Devon, are just so lucky to have FORCE.” – Rachel Johnston.
HELP FORCE AND FUNDRAISE FOR THEM VIA JUSTGIVING.COM
https://www.justgiving.com/force
FORCE also run a number of other cycle events in N Devon. For this and all other info go to:
Country Life Brewery will be kindly supporting the Smuggler this year with a free beer for all riders! Established in 1998, using the Brew plant from Lundy Island. The Brewery was originally located at the Pig On The Hill pub in Pusehill, Westward Ho!. During 2001 the brewery capacity was doubled in size. During the late summer of 2002 the brewery moved to its current location; The Big Sheep tourist attraction, where you can visit the working brewery and retail outlet; the brewery shop. In 2005 the new state of the art brewery and bottling plant was installed enabling Country Life Brewery to keep up with demand and can now produce over 15,000 pints of award winning ales a week and is North Devon's largest brewer. In fact, so successful that expansion, Country Life Brewery has branched into the production of fine Gins alongside its celebrated Ales.
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The Country Life Brewery combines state-of-the-art equipment with traditional brewing techniques which ensures that there is a consistency of product and the beers and gin produced are amongst the very best brewed in the UK today.
Three Atop Woodland Services will be letting us use their Simonsbath Sawmill for a feed station during this years Smuggler.
Our passion is to encourage a culture of using purpose grown trees as the crop they were intended for and in turn promoting healthy, working woodlands.
A working, and inherently financially viable, woodland is a sustainable one and in turn more likely to survive in the future.
A well-managed/coppiced woodland, working on rotation, can act as a successful carbon sink as well as producing materials/products that will sequester carbon in their dormancy.
Most importantly these woodlands provide employment for the people of Exmoor, increase biodiversity, act as ecological corridors and combat climate change in its ferocity.
When talking about the Exmoor landscape, we emphasize the relationship it has with those of us that live here. A symbiosis that has been lost in recent times, with the vast reduction in a culture of working woodlands. Exmoor is a working place through and through so one of our main goals is to create employment opportunities for the current and future generations, keep the history alive. Without the next generation, how are we to pass on and teach our working culture, our heritage and skills?
We strive to provide a cyclical service, Aboriculture, forestry and woodland management, sawmilling and re-planting.
The Bike Shed launched in 1994 and through it’s passion for all things two wheeled, and has been steadily expanding since. Now with stores in Exeter, Crediton and Barnstaple stocking some of the finest cycle brands on the market today, Bike Shed aims to have all types of cyclist well and truly covered – whether your a new comer to cycling, a full blown mamil, a serious roadie or just looking for something to cruise around on.
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The Barnstaple store is situated in the heart of town and on the doorstep of the Tarka Trail and Exmoor stocking all types of bikes including road, mountain, hybrid, commuter, folding, family & kids bikes with brands such as Specialized, Trek, Bianchi, Dawes, Bottecchia, Eddy Merckx and more. The stores also stock a large range of accessories including Helmets, Lights, Pedals, Clothing & much more.
Our superb team offers an excellent wide range of knowledge regarding all disciplines of cycling and can also cater for the care of your bicycle in our fully equipped workshop.
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Bike Shed also offers services such as bike fit, which recent research shows can have a massive impact on performance and more importantly, comfort in the saddle! After years of development Specialized launched BG F.I.T developed Dr Andy Pruitt PA. With over 30 years experience in helping World Champions, Tour de France winners and cyclists of all levels, Andy has developed a fit System that enables the fitter to analyse an individual’s needs and adjust their bike based on their unique body characteristics, experience level and goals to maximize comfort and performance. So if you want to shave a few seconds of your PB, or just love the thought of getting back from a ride not bent over in pain, come and chat to the Bike Shed team in store.
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Bike Shed is proud to be launching The Smuggler sportive in Barnstaple, having supported numerous events across Devon over the last decade the team felt it was time to put all this experience to good use and host a great event. Through the friendly Bike Shed team and their fully qualified Cytech mechanics, the store will be providing full mechanical support on the routes.
Come in and say hello, check out the site for details on how to find our stores.